Ever Onwards-Dragons?
by ckong11235
Summary: The 4th Shinobi War has ended with the sealing of Kaguya and the Juubi in Naruto. As the years pass and his unwanted immortality becomes clear, what will Naruto do when everyone he once fought for returns to dust as the world about him changes? First Crossover with Inheritance Cycle. Second Crossover will possibly be Claymore.
1. Departure

Chapter 1

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

"Shannaro!"

Three voices intertwined as their owners finally triumphed over the greatest threat the Elemental Nations has ever faced.

Pale, royal lavender Byakugan eyes helplessly stared in hatred at the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura as the sun and moon reached out to forever shatter her dreams of eternal peace. " _Im…possible. For me, the mother of all chakra, to lose against the wretched offspring of Hagoromo._ " Alabaster fists, capable of ending all of existence, tightly clenched as she bitterly railed against her oncoming defeat. Suddenly, just as she felt Naruto and Sasuke grip her shoulders, her desperate all-seeing eyes came upon her only path of freedom.

" _If my fate is to once again be sealed…_ "

"RIKUDŌ: CHIBAKU TENSEI!"

" _THEN I SHALL AT LEAST CHOOSE MY PRISON!_ "

The instant Naruto and Sasuke finished the strongest sealing jutsu, a giant black sphere of impossible gravitational power emerged, forcing even Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra, up into the sky.

The earth tore itself asunder and distant mountain ranges violently hurtled up towards the Rabbit Goddess, forming a giant prison not unlike the distant moon in space.

" _Finally, it's done._ " Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi all relaxed when they saw Kaguya about to be completely hidden from view.

But suddenly, the enormous ball of compressed earth and stone suddenly trembled, causing bits of rocks to tumble to the ground.

However, none of them noticed the tremor since the unbreakable prison was already shaking from all of the tons of earth to begin with.

That didn't last long.

With a last burst of her godly chakra, Kaguya forced her prison between dimensions towards the quartet, who only now began to realize something was wrong when she abruptly disappeared into nothing.

"What the…"

Naruto, still garbed in both Kurama's and the Rikudō Sennin's Yang chakra, uttered before widening his crossed eyes in shock when Kaguya's prison appeared not twenty feet above him.

"Oi, Sasuke! Why the hell is she…AHHHH!"

Then before Sasuke's shocked mystic eyes, a scene unpleasantly reminding him of when Madara absorbed the God Tree into himself occurred right before him to his only friend.

But it was what he heard and saw that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

Except unlike the mad Uchiha Naruto, the same person who never allowed others to see his suffering, was screaming out in terrifying agony, an ugly grimace fixed on his whiskered visage, as what was equivalent to an entire world's worth of chakra forced itself into the seal that currently contained the Yin half of Kurama.

" _Kurama, what…the hell is going on in there!_ " Focusing on his mindscape, a kneeling Naruto bore witness to what equated to a second moon forcing its way into the Kyuubi's cage, the bars that once held back the fox beginning to crumble and shatter under its impossible weight and presence. And the only thing preventing his chakra pathways from outright shattering was a giant nine-tailed fox with dark russet fur desperately pushing against Kaguya's prison, only allowing the foreign object to slowly enter as the seal attempted to readjust itself.

" ** _Hold on brat! Just hold on a little longer! Kaguya must have used the last burst of chakra under her control to teleport herself into your seal!_**

" _I…see._ " A crimson eye twitched. " _NO I DON'T! HOW THE HELL DID SHE DO THAT AND OWOWOWOW…_ "

" ** _SHUT IT BRAT, I'M A LITTLE BUSY OVER HERE! AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT SUPER GRANNY OVER HERE DID?!_** **"** Kurama ferociously roared as he was steadily pushed back further into the seal by the moon.

"…!" Naruto didn't bother to answer back as he was forced back into the real world from a sudden jerk on the back of his shredded jacket. The first thing he saw and felt was solid stone as his face _bounced_ off of Hashirama's arm. Arms trembling, he shakily pulled himself back on his feet, only to feel a sinking feeling that had nothing to do with Kaguya in his stomach when saw his brother in arms, Sasuke Uchiha, stand opposite of him.

With a Chidori chirping on his hand.

 _Over Fifty Years Later_

In the Uchiha compound laid a dying man with pitch-black hair and streaks of silver running through it, inky eyes, and a black crescent-moon on his left palm. Beside him knelt two people: a woman with pink hair, startling green eyes, and a fading violet diamond on her forehead and a youthful-looking man with sun-kissed blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, three strange birthmarks on each cheek that resembled whiskers, and a sun mark on his right palm. These three were the legendary Team 7 of Konoha: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto.

"Naruto, Sakura…" coughed one of the last Uchiha. "I am about to die…and there is something I must do," Sasuke grunted.

"Sasuke, please, we've went over this over and over again. With the Six Paths Power, you can still live for a few more years with your wife, your daughter! Don't do this." Naruto retorted with Sakura in background shedding tears and yet with an oddly determined look.

"Even after all these years, you're still a dobe." Sasuke chuckled quietly. "Do you think I'm so blind as to not see your suffering during and after your time as the Nanadaime Hokage? You, who has sacrificed the rest of your immortal life to live in agony to seal away the two most powerful entities of the Shinobi world, Kaguya Otsutsuki and the Juubi no Kitsune as your body is constantly broken down and reformed! Don't think we haven't noticed you constantly traveling and looking over the Eastern Sea. I am not doing this out of a sense of duty, I am giving you my Six Paths chakra as my Hokage, my comrade, my brother, and my first and best friend to cease, even if temporarily, your pain so that you can, for the first time, experience a life of painless happiness!" Sasuke demanded.

" _Even after all this time, you're still going on about this._ " Naruto's closed his eyes as he resorted to his Hokage voice. "Sasuke, I have already said no. The last thing I want is to have your pinkeyes in my head." Sasuke glared up at his friend before uncharacteristically chuckling.

"Damnit, how long have I told you that they're not pinkeyes. To think that the eyes that could alter the reality of the world is still being called pinkeyes by a Hokage, what have I done wrong?" The three burst into laughter as they knew this would be the last they would ever share joy as a team.

Too soon however, Sasuke was reduced to a coughing mess as he once again tried to persuade his blonde friend. "Naruto, listen. You know why you must take my eyes. You know that the Elemental Nations have changed, for better or worse. There is no longer a need for such power in the new society, not with everyone across the land being so goody goody towards one another. Even the shinobi way is dying out and we all can see that it might die out. It can be seen everywhere. Last year, only two children signed up for the Shinobi Academy and even then, they soon dropped out to become something else. The new Hokage is a joke compared to past Hokages." The three looked at each other sadly as the way of life they grew up with was dying out.

"Naruto, what Sasuke said is all true, and you know it. The last shinobi that could be considered true shinobi was our children's generation. The shinobi will soon cease to exist after our children pass on, but you...you will forever exist as the last shinobi. So take it, take the gift that he is offering, even if it's just a way to remind you of us after we pass on." Sakura softly said as she held her husband's hand.

Naruto struggled for a few moments with his emotions, and the wracking pain that swept through him didn't help. Soon he came to his decision as he bowed his head.

"Do it. Do it before I change my mind." A soft whisper that could barely be heard made its way to the now smiling couple.

The next thing he felt was the slap of a paper on his neck and with his fading vision, was a sad smile on his friend's face.

"Thank you, dobe. Now us three will forever be together." Sasuke whispered. As Naruto lost consciousness, he looked back to his wife's face to see two tracks of tears spilling out from her eyes, wondering just how he had ever been so foolish to constantly reject her when they were young. "It's time Sakura. Despite the scarce time we have been together, I have always loved you and Sarada, my two most beautiful Himes. See you on the other side." Sasuke said with an eye smile reminiscent of their sensei Hatake Kakashi.

"I know, Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled.

 _One Hour Later_

As Naruto regained consciousness, he realized that all he could see was black. But what worried him the most was that even in his mindscape, everything was dark. As he panicked, he yelled out in his mind, " _Kurama, what the hell happened to me?_ "

" ** _Brat, calm down! You're currently wearing a blind-fold while your body and mind are merely reconstructing themselves to better fit the new power your two friends put in your body._** _"_ Kurama grumbled at the loud voice of his human friend.

" _So it's done. How are they?_ " Naruto thought sadly.

" ** _Yes it is, but you should pay attention, the pinky is trying to talk to you._** "

"Naruto? You with us?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura, is he alright?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Sasuke-kun is still alive, but he is fading fast." Sakura stated with a tone of finality.

A few moments passed until Naruto broke the silence and bluntly said, "You two are dying."

Sakura looked up, the diamond that was always present on her forehead-gone. "You always were blunt, weren't you." she mused, slumping down towards the barely breathing Sasuke, "But yes, we won't be in the world much longer. I'm sorry Naruto, but it seems that this is one journey we three can't go on together." Sakura weakly smiled as she rapidly aged without the effects of the seal on her forehead.

Naruto, despite not being able to see them, could sense the emotions coming from the two, sputtering as their souls slowly began to depart from their bodies. Kneeling in front of them, bloody tears slowly staining the bandage over his eyes red before creeping down his whiskered cheeks.

"Goodbye Sasuke...Sakura. You two will forever be in my heart."

That night, a keening cry echoed throughout the whole of Konoha as Naruto lamented the loss of two of its legends, and more importantly his dearest friends.

A few minutes passed before Naruto tore the cloth from his eyes, silvery purple eyes almost boring through the wooden wall of the house as he stumbled back to his feet before shunshin'ing away from the village and into the wilderness. Inside the seal, Kurama winced, feeling the burning anguish that coursed through his host's veins. Not since the loss of his wife ten years ago did he feel such pain from the usually joyful blond knucklehead, and although he would never admit it, it pained

 _30 Years Later_

Naruto stood at the edge of Kirigakure no Sato with near invisible storage seals running up and down both of his arms in a white trench coat with the kanji for Nanadaime Hokage sewn on it in red and a large scroll on the back of his hip. As he looked into the endless blue sea with his cerulean eyes, he thought about everything that happened since the end of the 4th Shinobi War. From the defeat, sealing, and absorption of Kaguya, his marriage with Hinata, becoming the Nanadaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, and finally the exchange of eyes with Sasuke.

However, he refused to dwell on their deaths, rather choosing to remember them when they were alive.

" ** _Naruto, you sure about this? If you do this and you ever come back, no one will remember or even recognize you._** " Kurama said.

" _I'm fine Kurama. I have packed more than enough ramen and weapons…_ "

" ** _That's not what I meant brat. I'm asking whether…"_** Kurama said.

" _Stop, I have thought about this for a long time. Despite my occasional immature acts, I am not the boy that I was during the 4th Shinobi War; I am far from being as naïve as I was back then. I have seen thousands of shinobi be crushed under giant meteors. I have brought peace to the Elemental Nations as the Child of Prophecy. I became the Hokage of Konoha. I have even become immortal and have outlived all of my loved ones. There is nothing left for me in the Elemental Nations and my existence as a shinobi only reminds others of past shinobi wars. Besides Kurama, I thought you of all would want to leave this place, since you have already been everywhere and don't want to become a tool of others._ " Naruto remarked.

" ** _Tch, whatever, I was just making sure you had no regrets since it would be annoying to hear you complaining about home._** " Kurama said.

" _Hn, love you too furball._ " Naruto thought back.

" ** _Humph, I guess anything is fine as long you don't get us killed in our journey. Anyways, your other…tenant is starting to wake up._** _"_ Kurama said in a worried tone.

" _Think she will be a problem?_ " Naruto shot back with narrowed eyes.

" ** _If you mean whether she will wake up in the middle of the sea…that is a very real possibility. So what will you do? Stay here and possibly lose control, or lose control in the middle of the sea with no land in sight?_** " Kurama asked.

"My decision remains the same. Besides, it's not as if it's decided that I will lose control!" Naruto said.

"Well said Naruto, you are truly the Child of Prophecy and Hero of the 4th and Last Shinobi War." Said a voice behind Naruto.

"Oi, Hagoromo-san, what did I say about suddenly talking behind my back." Naruto exclaimed, turning around to see the Rikudo no Sennin, Hagoromo Otsutsuki.

"I see that you are going with your plan on leaving the Elemental Nations? If so, I have some knowledge to share with you, along with two gifts." Hagoromo said. "First, you must know of the time/space barrier around the Elemental Nations that stretch into the sea. It is because of this barrier, that there has been no visitors from outside the Elemental Nations."

"So this means…" Naruto said

"Yes, once you cross the barrier, you can never return to the Elemental Nations. Not even the Hiraishin no Jutsu or the Kamui can guarantee your return due to the nature of the barrier. Should you try it, you might just get tossed into the void and forever drift between dimensions before landing in a random world. In fact, there was a group of explorers who left soon after my creation of Ninshu around 1000 years ago." Hagoromo said as he watched Naruto gulp nervously; he had been obviously planning on doing something of the sort in the future.

"Now for my gifts. My first gift is a complete list of Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu that the Elemental Nations has ever created. However, you must train in them in order to master them. As for my second gift, I will strengthen the seal on my mother, Kaguya. With this, she will remain sealed for at most another 3 years. This means that although you won't be able to access her chakra, she will not be able to influence you. Because of this, your body will no longer try to forcibly breakdown and reform. Instead, as you fight, your cells will constantly evolve, becoming closer and closer to a form that can handle your power." Hagoromo said as he poked Naruto's head, instantly transferring huge amounts of knowledge as well as strengthening part of the seal that kept Kaguya dormant.

While also transferring the last of his inheritance into him.

Shaking his head to get rid of the stars that had flashed in his eyes, Naruto asked, "Thanks old man. So this means that I have no limits AND I have all the time in the world to become stronger?"

"Yes, however, you will have to constantly train; they won't evolve on their own. At the same time, once the three years are up, you will have to be strong enough to withstand Kaguya's chakra and influence, otherwise she will resurrect and at that time, there will be nobody to stop her."

"Don't worry, it won't happen." Naruto exclaimed. "At least, I won't be alone on this journey." Naruto said.

"I guess you won't. Take care of Kurama, will you. He always was the stubbornest of his siblings, and yet the most sensitive out of all of them." Hagoromo said with a smile.

"Of course…after all, he's my lifelong friend and partner." Naruto said with a good guy pose that would do Guy proud. However, the melancholy that lurked beneath his azure orbs did not escape the God of Shinobi.

" _I can only hope you will one day heal and that you find somebody that can bring you happiness…son._ " Hagoromo inwardly sighed, guilt eating at him as he remembered the day the presence of Kaguya forced Naruto onto the immortal path.

"I believe you. Now it is time for you to go. Remember to train with all of your powers, and good luck." Hagoromo said with a smile as he slowly faded from the Elemental Nations, never to be see again.

"Goodbye Hagoromo-san/Otou-sama." Naruto and Kurama said one last time.

Just as he disappeared, his voice rang out one last time, just barely audible to the two, "Oh, and Naruto...Happy 100th Birthday."

Naruto sadly stared at where the first God of Shinobi disappeared with a few tears in his eyes before wiping them away.

"So even you have faded away…"

" ** _Come on brat, let's go._** " Kurama voiced out.

"Yeah."


	2. Training

Chapter 2

Barely a day had passed after the two most powerful beings on the planet left the Elemental Nations when Kurama suddenly stirred from his nap.

" _ **Hey brat, it's about time we find out about what abilities your eyes have given**_ _ **you**."_

His meditation interrupted, Naruto cracked open his eyes as he gazed at the seemingly infinite sea in front.

" _What do you mean Kurama? The last time I tried anything with these eyes, you made me not to, saying my eyes needed to fully bond with my body before I could use them._ "

" ** _Correct, and what I'm saying is that that Uchiha brat's eyes have finally fully bonded with your very DNA. If you but look down at the water, you'll see what I mean._** "

For a second, Naruto sat still, stunned by the fox's words. However, he didn't waste any time as he leaned overboard to stare at his turbid reflection before raising his trembling fingers to his eyes because for the first time in over thirty years...

...gleaming cerulean orbs, _his_ eyes, stared back, their wonder obvious. Several minutes passed by while Naruto just stared at his reflection, an intense happiness warming his being as reunited with a wayward piece of himself.

" _ **Oi Naruto! If you're done admiring yourself like a woman, hurry up and try using Kamui! Who knows, maybe that's one of your abilities.**_ " Getting impatient by his host's actions, Kurama finally couldn't take it anymore and roared from sunny meadow in Naruto's transformed mindscape.

Almost as eager as his furry friend, Naruto didn't bother responding to his jibe as he sent a burst chakra into his eyes before muttering, " _Kamui!_ " Not sure what to expect, he almost yelped in surprise as he instantly disappeared from reality in a swirl of inky darkness before almost face planting into a swathe of grass.

" _Wait...grass?_ "

Not for the first time that day, he felt his eyes widen before springing to his feet, only for his jaw to fall to the ground. A vast grassland stretched for almost as far as his enhanced sight could see, great mountains whose snowy peaks pierced through the sky lined the horizon. However a frown soon marred his face as something, other than the amazing and impossible view, began to bother him. Tilting his head up, Naruto realized that currently in his _Kamui_ space, it was almost noon with the sun nearly hanging directly above him.

" _But why is it so dark?_ " A vast shade enveloped the area in front of him for miles around. And even that was odd. " _Why does the shape of it look familiar? Those weird ear like things and ten tails...oh._ " As his pupils dilated, a hot wind from behind almost knocked him back to the ground. Whirling around, Naruto felt his jaw that he just picked up from the ground again fall prey to gravity.

"Kur-KURAMA! WHAT THE, NO, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE? AND WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN HUGE?!"

A rumbling chuckle shook the air as a giant figure leaned down, his crimson slitted eyes, taller than even Naruto who stood above 6 feet himself, shone in amusement at the waving finger.

" **Hahaha, don't be so surprised Naruto, although I guess I understand. Neither of us knew what kind of abilities you would have after the Rinne-Sharingan mutated to bond to your genes. But for your Kamui space to actually be a whole other world or even universe and allow me to manifest myself, extraordinary.** "

The corner of Naruto's eye twitched at Kurama's far less intense disbelief before his brows furrowed in confusion. It simply didn't make any sense; the difference between his _Kamui_ and Obito's was too big. He didn't think him having a larger chakra pool had anything to do with it. As he went through the possibilities, a sneaking suspicion in his mind.

" _Could it be...Kaguya?_ "

It was a worrying thought, but he banished it for now; now was the time to prepare for the inevitable fight, starting with his new abilities. Slamming his palms together, Naruto sent a spark of chakra running to his storage seals. A small cloud of smoke exploded around him, much to the irritation of the giant fox. Huffing out in annoyance, the faint obstruction was blown away, revealing six legendary bodies laying before Naruto.

Senju Hashirama

Senju Tobirama

Senju Tsunade

Uzumaki Mito

Uchiha Itachi

Uchiha Sasuke

Suddenly, several clones of Naruto appeared from behind him before they made their way to the corpses. Nothing had to be said between the two partners. The number and quality of the bodies along with the black rods slipping from their hands all pointed towards one thing.

These bodies of shinobi, all who have altered history in their own way, were to become his new six paths. And as Naruto began the process of making his paths, Kurama tilted his head at the sheer power laying before him. While none of them except Sasuke could individually even harm him, with all of them combined, they would be annoying to deal with.

When the final rod was inserted, six pairs of ringed eyes abruptly snapped open as their owners sat up and scanned the surroundings without intercepting each other's line of sight. But when a certain busty blonde caught sight of her fellow blond, a glimmer of confusion entered her and the others' Rinnegan eyes.

"N-Naruto? What...why?"

"Calm yourself Tsunade, and look at his eyes. Then all will be explained." Tobirama, ever the cool one quickly noticed how he seemed to have six other visual points despite only having two eyes.

Beside them, Naruto also stood there, stunned as realized that his mentors still retained their memories, unlike Nagato's paths. Quickly getting over it, he brushed his hands of invisible dust before saying nostalgically, "We have much to talk, baa-chan, owwww!"

A small fist quickly reminded who he was talking to as he sailed into the horizon, a gold shooting star going in reverse.

Kurama snorted in amusement.

" **Haven't seen that in a while.** "

 _Two Months Later_

As it turned out, all those years of constantly suffering body-tearing pain didn't leave completely without benefits. His originally massive chakra reserves had grown exponentially ever since Kurama had absorbed the entirety of his other half and his siblings. Utilizing a reservoir of chakra comparable to Kurama's when he was divided in two, hundreds of thousands if not millions of clones surrounded by various elements and creations covered the now pockmarked land. As for the original...

"Oof!" A tanned fist slammed into a red samurai chest piece, creating an imprint of said fist in it. The earth rumbled as the first Hokage, Hashirama, was sent flying through dozens of trees before grinding to a halt in a trench made from his own body.

Groaning, Hashirama slowly began to pull himself out of the crater afore the same hand that knocked him into it appeared above him. A bright grin lit up his face as he grabbed the hand. "I say Naruto, you certainly have gotten stronger. If was still alive, I might have been killed by that punch." Dusting himself off, his Rinnegan met bright cerulean ones. "To think you you're still wearing those resistance seals Mito created. Incredible."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head; even after all these years, that habit of his hadn't changed. "No, I'm just grateful you all didn't mind me summoning your souls from the Pure Lands," a sorrowful glint entered his downturned eyes as he mumbled, "...even if it's only temporary."

These past months in his dimension, despite it only being a week outside (a fact he still didn't understand how it could have happened), were the happiest he had been in several decades. Free from the crippling pain and training with people he loved and respected, it was a bliss he didn't expect for the rest of his life.

But he knew...he knew all of this was merely momentary. Already, he could feel them approaching the barrier that separated the Elemental Nations from the rest of the world and soon, they too will leave him.

A strong hand landed on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto," an uncharacteristic serious look shone from Hashirama's eyes. "Don't be so sad. Yes, we will be gone and yes you will once again be alone. But remember," the first God of Shinobi brightly grinned as he laid a hand on Naruto's heart, "you are never alone. You have Kurama, but most of all, as long you have us in your heart, we too shall live on!"

Tears that nobody alive has ever seen began to stream down the corners of Naruto's eyes as five pairs of hands of different sizes, colors, and feeling landed on his other shaking shoulder. Looking around, he gazed at the friends, mentors, legends, and rival as they too did the same, all of them engraving the memory of each other.

They knew today would be the last day they would see each other.

"Tch dobe, why are you crying? The rival I had would never give up so easily as long there was a way. Who knows, maybe one day the barrier around our home will fall. So go show the world what the last and greatest shinobi can do." Sasuke lightly quirked the corner of his lips upwards into a familiar smirk before leveling a fist towards Naruto.

"Goodbye, Naruto."

Brushing the tears from his eyes, Naruto also toothily smiled, his eyes crinkled up, as he too lifted his fist to smack against his rival's, no, his brother from another life, fist. Neither moved until the life flickered away from the Uchiha's eyes, his hand limply falling to his side.

Letting his own hand fall, Naruto whispered, "Goodbye...brother."

Far away, Kurama closed his blood-red eyes, turning away as his only friend fell to his knees and surrounded by cold puppets, howling towards the sky like a wounded wolf as the world took his loved ones for a second time.

Perhaps he could break through the barrier and retrieve their souls, but he could never deny them the company of their family. Then again, maybe one day he'll do so.

But that's another story.

 _Another Two Months Later_

Powerful shockwaves capable of decimating countries thundered through the Kamui dimension as Naruto and his clones engaged in fierce combat, their fists and feet seeking to beat the other into submission. It was only when a tail as large as any mountain slammed down, causing a devastating earthquake, that made the blonds stop. Beads of sweat trailed down the original's neck and past the small diamond tattoo of the Byakugou seal, a seal that constantly absorbed, compressed, and stored the surrounding nature energy around him.

Sweeping his Rinne-Sharingan towards the towering fox, Naruto raised a saffron eyebrow. "Did something happen Kurama?"

Looking into those eyes, the Juubi suppressed a small shudder when he remembered how those eyes could use all of the Mangekyō Sharingan abilities of the previous Uchihas, never mind the unknown ones that lurked beneath those spinning tomoe. Hell, he even decided to hide the unique ability Naruto's right eye could wield, so worried he was of the possibility that his friend might try to right then and there try to break through the barrier. Pushing away such thoughts, he rested his furry cheek on his fist.

" **Nothing happened brat...other than the first sign of land we've seen in the past four months. Then again, if you're not interested, perhaps we could...** "

Several hundred puffs of smoke exploded. Dusting himself off, the Rinne-Sharingan began to spin as Naruto prepared to exit his dimension.

"Nope, as pure the nature energy is here, I was getting sick of just seeing myself and your ugly mug. Let's go!"

" **BRAT, YOU DARE...!** "

Notes:

Kamui - Authority of the Gods


	3. Arrival

Chapter 3

As Naruto jumped off of his boat and onto actual dry land for the first time in two months, Kurama started instructing him.

" _So until we know the average level of the people of this land, try to limit your chakra level to that of a high chunin and keep your weights on at 50x. When you strain your body both physically and chakra-wise, your cells will evolve at a faster rate, which will let you be able to control Kaguya's god-like chakra once she wakes._ " Kurama said.

"Got it, although hopefully this land is more peaceful than the Elemental Nations."

" _Tch, that would be boring and besides, then you won't be able to improve your body and remember if you don't, you risk losing everything to Kaguya, including me!_ "

"Don't worry fuzz-butt, I won't slack off on my training." Naruto replied as he tree-hopped through the mountains at night. After a few hours of tree hopping, he landed at the shore of a large lake with a faint outline of a city and a mountain of bare rock several miles away from said city, only to almost fall off the branch from the sheer amount of negative feelings emanating from the city.

" _What is this? How can the first city we come to have such a disgusting aura that I can feel it all the way from here?_ " Naruto steadied himself on the branch as he called out, "Kurama, did you feel that?"

" _I did brat, and even if it doesn't compare to my own aura, there must be something seriously wrong in this land for such negativity to radiate from the first city we've come across._ " The giant fox growled in the mindscape, having felt it from the memories he just viewed.

"Well Kurama, shall we check what's over there? We might be able to finally get information of what kind of place we're in."

" _Well, there's no harm in checking it out. I don't sense any large enough signatures that could present a threat, although there seems to be some sort of barrier around that mountain._ " Kurama informed.

"Alright, let's go then and finally get some food to eat and an actual bed to sleep in!" Naruto said as he ran on top of the lake towards the city. Before entering the city however, he suddenly spotted a group of people going to the mountain. Curious, he followed them and as they stopped at the base of the mountain, he muttered "Toton Jutsu" and faded from sight. However, his disgust grew as he felt the feelings of rage, despair, fear, and avarice rise as he approached the black mountain.

As he watched, two humans in black cloaks with hoods hiding their faces suddenly emerged from the mountain. But what most surprised him was the heavy negative aura he felt coming from them. While he couldn't see feelings while not in Version 3 Cloak form, he could still feel negative auras if they were strong enough.

" _Kit, those two…things in the cloaks are spreading some kind of substance that is affecting those humans._ " Kurama said.

"So like some kind of gas? I see, that's why despite the heavy negative aura, those people aren't running away and are only standing there blankly." Naruto said.

But what he saw next horrified him as the two beings un-hooded themselves, displaying bird-like faces with a huge beaks, and started to devour the drugged humans. Unable to watch any longer, Naruto shunshin'd in front of the two things while ending the Toton Jutsu.

The two figures, while initially startled, immediately started to analyze this human in front of them. They noticed that the human in front of them had spiked blonde hair that defied gravity, eyes with a pattern they have never seen before, and oddly 6 scars that resembled whiskers. But what most worried them was the aura of power the blonde seemed to be emitting.

"Who are you, human?" One of the things asked as they both subtly increased the concentration of paralysis gas around him. To their shock, the strange human showed no sign of being affected, instead the human just stood there looking at them with his strange eyes.

"First of all, what the hell are you? And why did you eat those humans?" Naruto demanded.

"We are the Ra'zac, beingsss superior to you humans and as such are merely food." The Ra'zac said as they drew their blades and moved into position pounce and kill the human that made them uneasy.

"I have no idea what the hell you just said, but whatever. FUUTON: SHINKUGYOKU!" Naruto said as he spat dozens of wind bullets that tore through the Ra'zac in several places as they attempted to dodge.

One of the Ra'zac immediately died due to a wind bullet penetrating its beaked head while the other one had several holes that one could see through on its torso. As the barely living Ra'zac watched, Naruto just walked over with his palm outstretched. As the Ra'zac attempted to back up, the palm grabbed its head and covering its sight. The last thing it ever heard was, "Only high-genin speeds, not even at the level of a low chunin…so weak. I've never used this power before, and definitely never seen it done on a non-human, but now show me what you know, _Ningendo_!" Naruto said as he ripped the Ra'zac's soul with a tearing sound.

As he reviewed the Ra'zac's memories, he almost obliterated the mountain in front him. He saw all of the helpless faces that the Ra'zac feasted on, their methods of torture, the two leathery bat things that were still in the mountain, and finally the blurry face of a man with a mountain-like black dragon that about half the size Kurama was when he was the Kyuubi behind him and piles of bodies in the background. When he tried to see past the blurriness, the image shattered with only a whisper of _King Galbatorix_. Naruto frowned as he didn't expect the memory to just shatter. As he further reviewed the memories, he came across a more recent memory of them killing an old man who shielded a boy with a silvery palm with a smaller blue dragon behind him. As he dug deeper, he found a name, Eragon, as well as another name, _Varden_. Apparently, the Ra'zac deduced that Eragon, with no other options, would flee towards the Varden. As he looked for memories of the Varden, all he got was an approximate location in an enormous range of mountains that touched the sky called the Beor Mountains in the far east across a large desert. He also noted the language used by the natives as well as some common knowledge.

As Naruto considered what to do next, he entered his Kamui dimension while bringing the two Ra'zac's bodies. Finding Kurama, he asked, "What do we do now Kurama? This land is far from peaceful and there seems to be two factions at war: the king called Galbatorix and his Empire against the rebel Varden."

" _Kit, we hardly know either side of this conflict. But from what I've seen from those birds' memories, this king seems to resemble that damned Madara far too much to my liking. Both are power hungry and want to unite the land under their twisted ideals. However, what startles me is how long this king seems to have lived. It would seem, like you, he's also somewhat immortal if we can judge for how long he has ruled and how young he still looks._ "

"Then, we should just infiltrate his castle and just kill him before he knows of us or our capabilities." Naruto said.

" _No, that will not work. While similar, this king has already ruled for the past century if the memories are correct. If you just kill him, what do you think will happen? The already corrupt Empire would just place another cruel king in his place. The common people, who you are so fond of, would just trade one mad, cruel king for another one, hence changing nothing._ "

"You're right Kurama. In that case, we should head towards this Varden. But now that we have a location, how do we get there? From the memories, it seems like it would take an extremely long time to get there."

" _As hilarious it would be to watch you struggle, it really would be a pain just to watch get there by walking. Just use your Kamui you have been using all this time. Remember that you can teleport anywhere with it as long you have either been there or have a strong enough image of the place. Within the memories that you ripped out, there was an image of the mountains as you said. Just concentrate on the entrance to that range and use your Kamui to get us there in an instant._ "

"I see...what would I do without you?"

" _Probably kill a king and then plunge the land into a civil war; then again you were never the sharpest kunai in the drawer._ " Kurama chuckled when he saw Naruto face fault.

"Hmph, getting such a big head after a compliment…damn bunny-ears." Naruto muttered without Kurama hearing him, although for some reason, the giant fox felt like launching a Bijuudama at his host.

" _Anyways, hurry up already!_ "

"Alright, I'm on it. _Kamui_!" Naruto said as he disappeared in a swirl and appeared in front of the Beor Mountains.

Notes:

Toton Jutsu - Transparent Escape Technique

Shunshin no Jutsu - Body Flicker Technique

Fuuton: Shinkugyoku - Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere


	4. First Contact

Chapter 4

As Naruto appeared in a swirl at the entrance of the Beor Mountains, he immediately saw a trail of large footprints and broken branches heading deep into the mountains. "Well well well, it would seem that this Eragon has the same gift of getting into major trouble as I did when I was younger."

" _ **What are you talking about brat? You still do, or did you forget about the Ra'zac already**?_" Kurama didn't let his friend forget what happened just minutes ago.

"That…that doesn't count, fuzzball! Anyways, time to follow the trail." Naruto pouted as he jumped into the trees to follow the trail.

Around 30 minutes later, he spotted a host of about 300 beings that looked like Orochimaru's curse-sealed soldiers, but soon realized they were Urgals and Kull from the Ra'zacs' memories. In front of the small army, he spotted a beautiful, but obviously ill woman that he identified as an elf on a horse, two humans, one of them he identified as Eragon, fighting off the Urgals, and a blue dragon about the size of the Hokage tower back in Konoha.

It was obvious that they were struggling, even with the dragon by their numerous injuries. But what fascinated him was the connection he could see between Eragon and the dragon. It was similar to those between his paths and him, yet it seemed…brighter and more alive. Just as he was about to jump in to help, he stared as saw a chakra-like energy rush from Eragon's mind to his silvery palm.

"Jierda theirra kalfis!" Sharp cracks resounded off the cliffs followed by harsh screams as around 20 of the Urgals fall while clutching their legs where bone protruded. Narrowing his eyes, he saw Eragon suddenly lean against the dragon in obvious weariness.

"Hmmm, it would seem that there exists people that can do jutsus in this Alagaesia. But what exactly did he yell out before those Urgals' legs were broken?" Naruto wondered before shaking his head. "Whatever, that can be thought on later. Time to intervene, they look like as if they're on their last legs."

Eragon stared at the cliffs next to the waterfall as his mind tried to process that nothing happened after he uttered the words to gain entry to the Varden. His mind was snapped back when Murtagh shouted out, "What now? We can't stay here!"

As Eragon was about to respond, a man with gravity-defying blonde hair, three scars on each cheek that looked like whiskers, a large scroll at his hip, and a white trench coat with some kind of language he did not know suddenly appeared in front of them and the Urgals. For just a moment, the battlefield stilled as both sides tried to process where exactly this person came from.

As soon as he was about to ask who the person was, the blonde turned around and said with a strange accent and eye-smile, "Yo, you look like as if you need some help. Just stay back for a moment kids, this will all be over soon."

Just as Eragon was about to tell the man to run and to get behind him, he saw Naruto going through several hand signs and suddenly inhale. But what stunned Eragon came afterwards as he heard the words, "KATON: GOKA MEKKYAKU!" and saw a blinding ocean of pure white flames shoot out of Naruto's mouth that engulfed the entire Urgal and Kull host with such intense heat and brightness it forced Eragon, Murtagh, and even Saphira look away while shielding their faces.

When the flames ended, what they saw caused their jaws to drop to the forest floor as they looked at the devastation that the fire caused. The entire forested area was burnt to mere ashes that still floated in the air while nothing all that was left of the vaporized Urgals and Kull.

Snarling at Naruto, Saphira immediately came in front of Eragon and Murtagh. " _Eragon, be careful of this man! The flames that he emitted were far more powerful than what even I can probably do once I'm able to breathe fire._ "

" _Huh, now I sort of understand Madara's fascination with Katon: Goka Mekkyaku. The sheer power of this jutsu is so great, and that was merely with high chunin chakra reserves. Just how powerful would it be if I used it with my normal reserves and other modes? Although, why were my flames white while his were just orange and red_" Naruto wondered.

" _Kit, that's because you have far denser chakra than Madara, and that's even when he was in his bastardized Rikudo Sennin Mode. Plus, combined with all of your mastered chakra natures, your flames are far more powerful than normal, thus making the superior white flame._ " Kurama answered. As Naruto was still quietly musing at the information, his attention was drawn when Eragon started speaking.

"Who are you? Are you a magician, or a Dragon Rider? Where did you come from and how did you do that? Those words were not of the ancient language from what I know." Eragon questioned and demanded.

" _Careful Little One, this man is not to be taken lightly. Even if we were at full power, I doubt that we could even scratch him. Look at him, those flames should have cost an enormous amount of energy, yet he's just standing there as if nothing happened!_ "

"From where I come from, it is only polite that the one asking the questions should provide his identity first." Naruto said

"Very well. My name is Eragon, the man beside me is Murtagh, and the dragon is Saphira. Now your turn, who are you?" Eragon answered as he stepped out from behind Saphira.

"Well, to your first question, my name is Naruto Uzumak. As for your second question, no, I'm not a magician or a Dragon Rider, just a simple traveller. As for your last question…that's a secret!" Naruto said cheekily while Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira face-faulted at the blond's answer.

"Anyways, I believe you guys were headed to the Varden?" Naruto noted how Eragon and Murtagh immediately tensed and to a lesser extent Saphira although she hid it well. However, he felt an aura of slight resentment and strangely regret from Murtagh. " _Hmmm, seems like there's a story behind this one._ " Naruto thought.

"What do you want with them? Do you want to join them?" Eragon questioned cautiously as he observed the man in front of him.

"My intentions are my own, but know that I don't mean harm to either you or the Varden." Naruto replied.

After a few more seconds of staring, Eragon relented and sighed, "Yes, we're here to join the Varden, although for some reason we were not granted entry even after following all of the directions from Arya behind us."

" _Little One, I believe I know why it didn't work. We're on the wrong side of the lake! I've seen the pointy ear's memories through you, and I just realized that this isn't the right place._ " Saphira informed through their link.

"Naruto, Saphira found out that the entrance to the Varden is on the other side of the lake."

"Really?" Naruto mused as he measured the distance to the other side of the lake. " _Hmmm, if it was just me, I could just water-walk to the other side with no problem...Then again, I could just carry them while water walking. Alright let's just do that._ "

"Ne, Eragon, could Saphira fly you and the elf towards the other side?" After getting confirmation from Eragon, Naruto continued, "Then do so. I got a plan."

As Eragon started to mount Saphira while bringing along Arya, Murtagh questioned, "Do you think this is a good idea? Can we trust him to not just kill us after we get into the Varden?"

"There's not much of a choice, is there? Even if we were at full strength, Saphira told me that it would still be useless to fight him; we wouldn't even scratch him." Eragon replied as Murtagh just grunted, not comforted at all by either of their words.

As Eragon, Arya, and Saphira landed on the other side, Naruto instructed Murtagh to get on one of the horses and keep both of them calm. Once Murtagh was ready, Naruto suddenly picked both of them up and started to sprint across the water.

Eragon just stared with his mouth dropping to the floor for the second time that day and thought, " _Great, he can create flames that can annihilate a small army and not appear tired, has enough strength to lift two horses and a man, and now he can walk on water. Just what can't this guy do? What's next, teleportation?_ " Saphira just stared at Naruto while filing away the information for later.

After Naruto arrived at the other shore and looked at Eragon, Eragon nodded and walked up to the cliffside and shouted out, "Aí varden abr du Shur'tugals gata vanta!" while banging a rock he found.

There was a clanking behind the waterfall as two twelve-foot thick stone doors opened to reveal a broad tunnel nearly thirty feet tall and a small group of men and dwarves. The 6 men and 4 dwarves came through and observed wide-eyed the destruction of the forest behind the intruders as well as the sudden lack of Urgal and Kull. Immediately their eyes settled on the them, as a bald man that radiated negative feelings from what Naruto could feel looked at Eragon on his dragon and commanded, "You say you are a dragon rider? Then prepare to be scanned: you and your companions."

Notes:

Jierda theirra kalfis - Break their calves

Katon: Goka Mekkyaku - Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation

Aí varden abr du Shur'tugals gata vanta - A warden of the Riders lacks passage


	5. The Mountain

Chapter 5

Naruto narrowed his eyes when he saw the way the bald man looked at Murtagh and him with contempt. He knew those kinds of eyes; they were the same eyes that the villagers had when they looked at him when he was but a child.

"Wait, there's an injured…" Eragon started saying.

"Stop! It must wait until you have been tested." The bald man retorted.

"But we have…" Eragon said while starting to see a little red.

"Silence! Or we will throw you out…" The bald man glared at the teenager.

Naruto had enough. He then unleashed a fraction of his killing intent on the bald man, which made him suddenly drop to his knees and start regurgitating everything in his stomach. "Enough of this farce. We have an injured elf by the name of Arya who looks like she has been poisoned. If you continue to hinder the healing of this elf, I will make what happened outside look like a mere firecracker after I am done with you."

The bald man merely nodded as fast he could, spraying sweat everywhere as he did so. As one of the dwarves went to take a look at the elf, he immediately said with widened eyes, "Barzul, it's Arya the dragon-egg courier! Egraz Carn, you fool! If she had died while here, the Varden would have ended here!"

The bald man, who slowly got up from his knees while looking maliciously at Naruto, bitterly said, "I understand Orik. I will bear all responsibility. You two there! Get her off the dragon and to the healers, now!"

Eragon quickly said, "She was poisoned with the Skilna Bragh while in prison. Only Túnivor's Nectar can save her now."

The bald man then pointed at Eragon and said, "Be ready to be scanned first."

Before the bald man started to inspect Eragon's mind, Orik grunted, "Careful Egraz Carn. You have almost doomed the Varden by not treating Arya. If you cause unnecessary harm to the Dragon Rider, despite your importance, you may be a head shorter."

"Humph, I understand." The bald man said before uttering a few inaudible words under his breath.

Naruto watched Eragon suddenly gasp with obvious pain and shock. He was immediately alarmed at this, since this looked like what he did with Ningendo: Human Path. While it was obvious that no soul was being torn out, the fact these people, or magicians, were able to remotely attack some one's mind was alarming to him.

" _Kurama, be careful, it would seem some of these people are able to directly break into a person's mind like the Yamanaka Clan. Knowing Eragon, he wouldn't hide anything necessary as long his friends are in potential danger, meaning this bald man, Egraz Carn, is intentionally doing harm to his mind._ "

" ** _Naruto, it would seem this ancient language these people use to do these…spells are what give them this kind of power. We should learn more about this language, otherwise, despite our power, we might get caught off guard._** " Kurama advised. " ** _But do not worry too much about them trying to read your mind. Remember, you have me, the Juubi no Kitsune, and I will not allow another to enter our mind without permission._** "

" _Alright, I trust you with my very soul. So of course I trust my mind to you. I just don't like what this Egraz Carn has shown us. I don't want you to feel such pain if somebody does this to us. Anyways, I will have to stop this…torture._ " Naruto sighed before leaving his mindscape.

" ** _Brat…as I thought, only someone similar to the old man would care so much about one like me. I'm glad I made the right decision of trusting you._** " Kurama thought to himself while chuckling and going back to sleep.

Just as the bald man was about to review what happened outside, Naruto grabbed his neck, disrupting the concentration needed to continue reviewing Eragon's memories and causing the others around him to raise their swords and axes.

"Enough of this. It is obvious that you are causing Eragon unnecessary pain and are trying to make him retaliate so you can crush him."

With wide eyes, Orik looked at the bald man and snarled, "You dare to try to harm the rider? My king and Ajihad will hear about this."

As the bald man paled with the implications of his actions, Naruto asked Orik, "Why not just get another spell caster to conduct the rest of the search. Even if they are not as powerful, as long both parties are willing, it would seem that no harm would come to either one." Naruto glared at the bald man, challenging him to question his suggestion. The bald man quickly looked away while Orik looked at Naruto in interest and nodded his agreement. After all, not just anyone could make one of the Twins look away in what looks like fear.

"Now, we have had a trying day and are hungry and tired. While I'm sure that your leaders want to see us, I believe that can wait until tomorrow when everyone is rested and your leaders are ready with their questions." Naruto suggested.

Orik again nodded in agreement and said, "That is true. You will still be under guard for all hours of the day, but no one will disturb your rest until my king and Ajihad want to see you. However, I will have to ask all of you to hand over your weapons."

Naruto looked at Eragon and Murtagh, and after getting nods of agreement, he said, "That is fine. Besides, all I have is a scroll on me. You see, I'm more of a traveler than a warrior."

Everyone just sweat dropped, especially Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira, who remembered what happened outside while Orik remembered what happened to Egraz Carn after Naruto only looked at him.

After turning over their weapons and scroll, Naruto and the others were lead to a large enough room for all of them, including Saphira. As Naruto sat down on the other side of the room from Eragon and his party, Saphira turned to look at him as she pulled at his consciousness.

After determining that the dragon meant no harm, Naruto allowed contact while keeping Kurama and Kaguya hidden away from the dragon.

" _Hello, as you know, my name is Saphira, partner of Eragon the Dragon Rider._ "

" _It is a pleasure to meet you Saphira. It is truly an honor to finally speak with such a magnificent and beautiful being as yourself._ " Naruto thought back, while ignoring Kurama's disdainful scoff. Let it be known, that Naruto has had more than enough experience in diplomatic talks during his time as Hokage.

" _If you would pardon me, you don't seem to be a native from Alagaesia, but you are not even surprised to see me. Most humans from Alagaesia would show some sign of fear or discomfort. Do you mind telling me why?_ " Saphira asked with shining eyes as she shivered at the enormity of the blonde's mind.

" _I am indeed foreign to these lands, although I hope you keep that hidden from everyone but Eragon until I am ready to tell others. As for my comfort of you being in front of me, let's just say I have seen bigger and more terrifying things during my life and have lived to tell the tale._ " Naruto replied with an eye smile while Saphira wondered just how eyes could move like that.

" _Very well. I will keep it a secret from others except Eragon. It is after all, your secret to tell._ " Saphira said while withdrawing from contact.

Before falling asleep, the last thing Naruto did was whisper, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," and have the clone use the Toton Jutsu to listen in on the conversation between Eragon and Murtagh.

 _A Few Hours Later_

Naruto and the others woke up when they heard the door open after a knock. Orik, the bald man and several other men walked in.

After handing back Naruto and Eragon's group their weapons and scroll, the bald man said, "Our leader wants to with with you now. Follow us" while keeping his eyes away from Naruto.

Right after leaving the room, Naruto dispelled his kage bunshin and thought, " _Huh, it would seem this Murtagh is the son of Morzan. According to the Ra'zac's memories, Morzan was also a Dragon Rider, but then turned traitor in favor of Galbatorix. Judging from what he said about his past, he did not have the greatest childhood or life…this reminds me of my own childhood. Except he turned into a dark and broody person like Sasuke-teme. I'll have to keep an eye on him and try to bring away from the shadow of his father._ "

As the group headed down several extremely large hallways of exact geometry, Naruto spoke with Kurama in his mind. While he could not see Kurama while talking like this as opposed to going into his mindscape, he was able to pay attention to his surroundings at the same time.

" _Kurama, we're about to finally meet the leader of the Varden. What do you think we should tell him when he starts questioning our past?_ "

" ** _Humph, just say you sailed from across their Western Sea and arrived in Alagaesia several months ago. No need to reveal how quickly you crossed the entire continent within the span of a few seconds; he doesn't need to know that. If he still doesn't trust you, reveal those Ra'zac corpses. From what we learned, these Ra'zac have probably been a menace to the Varden since day 1. If that still doesn't work, you could just blast everything to pieces, take control, and then kill the king hehehe._** " Kurama responded with an evil laugh as Naruto sweat dropped at the last sentence. " ** _Now I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me when something interesting happens._** "

After an hour of walking through several hallways and even parading a tunnel full of other people, who wildly roared out the moment Eragon came out on Saphira and that Naruto deduced was the Varden, they finally came into view of a city made of marble the size of a mountain with a hole in the ceiling at least a mile above them.

"Be honored, for this is the first time in a century that a Rider has laid eyes on our greatest achievement, the mountain-city Tronjheim under the peak of Farthen Dûr, built by the founder of our race Korgan as he tunneled for gold thousands of years ago." Orik said proudly.

After entering the city and going down several more hallways, one of which held a monstrous scarlet gem in the shape of a rose on its ceiling, Naruto and Eragon's group stood in front of a massive cedar door, darkened with age.

" _Well, here we go._ " Naruto thought.

Notes:

Barzul - a curse, ill fate

Ningendo - Human Path

Tronjheim - Helm of Giants

Farthen Dûr - Our Father


	6. Ajihad and Arya

Chapter 6

As the group entered the leader of the Varden's office, Naruto noted the somewhat plush quarters, with its intricate rug, quality furniture, and rows of bookshelves, and two bald men who looked like brothers. For a moment, the interior brought Naruto back to when he was Hokage and sitting in his office, also with books surrounding him; even the two bald men reminded him of the advisors of Konoha, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, before he dissolved the civilian council and kicked them out of his office.

The nostalgia lasted while Eragon recounted his tale: from the finding of Saphira's egg, the death of Brom by the hands of the Ra'zac, the rescue of Arya, the subsequent chase of the Urgal army, and finally the finding of the Varden. But the moment Murtagh spoke, apparently the leader of the Varden, Ajihad, recognized the voice and had the son of Morzan escorted out of his office and imprisoned.

While Naruto disapproved of the action, he did understand his concerns. Finally, the leader of the Varden turned to face Naruto and said, "Now then, who, or what are you?"

Taking a moment to take in the man's skin color that was so similar to those from Kumo, Naruto answered, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, a simple traveler from beyond the Western Sea who wants to help the Varden against King Galbatorix, and the one who aided Eragon when he needed help the most."

A few moments passed by as Ajihad and the rest of people in the office digested what the blonde said. He didn't buy it for a second that this man was a mere _simple traveler_ , especially not after that sea of flames right at his doorstep. But the revelation that he was from beyond the Western Sea, where the elves and first humans were said to have come from, was even more unbelievable.

"Be that as it may, despite having helped Eragon, we in the Varden still cannot blindly trust you. After all, all of this may just be a ruse. So tell me, why should I trust you and let you join the Varden, one we have no information of?" Ajihad questioned.

"I see that you will not be so easily convinced. Very well, I respect your caution and as a fellow leader and I understand why you must make sure of who I am. You mentioned the Urgals could have been a mere distraction? Then what about this?" Naruto crossed his arms as the corpses of the two Ra'zac swirled in existence in front of him and onto the floor.

"Impossible, when did you do this? How did you do this?" Withdrawing his hand from Zar'roc, Eragon demanded as he looked at the corpses of the killers of his uncle and Brom laying at his feet. While he briefly felt a surge of anger towards Naruto for taking away his revenge, a part him felt relieved and lightened, knowing that the deaths of his loved ones were avenged and that the Ra'zac could no longer terrorize the innocent civilians of the Empire or the Varden.

"I see. Galbatorix would definitely never allow the Ra'zac deaths just for an agent to infiltrate the Varden. The price would be too high and the reward too low. So be it. Welcome to the Varden, Naruto." Ajihad waved for the bald men to take the corpses out for inspection.

"For your services for the Varden, the rescue of Eragon the Dragon Rider and the slaying of the Ra'zac, is there anything you want other than entry to the Varden?"

"Yes, although it is probably more directed towards Eragon. I wish to join him as his companion to wherever he goes as well as the release of Murtagh once has proven his loyalty against the Empire. Before you ask, I have been in the same position as Murtagh where people have judged the circumstances around me…rather than the actual me." Naruto answered.

Frowning, the black leader pondered for a minute before sighing. "Alright, your requests are granted, and should Eragon say yes, then I see no problem. Now go, just from your eyes I can see that you want to get to know your surroundings better, as well get more food and rest. Now then, Orik! Accompany them to their quarters."

As they left the office, Naruto rounded onto Eragon. "Eragon, I know you have many questions that need to be answered for you to have peace, but please, trust me to keep it from you for now. Once we know each other better, you will get all of your answers, and more."

Narrowing his eyes, Eragon stared at Naruto for a few seconds before shrugging. "Fine, but only because you have yet to do anything to harm us. We will however talk about you and why you want to accompany me later." Eragon said as he left with Saphira and Orik.

Several Days Later

Eragon walked alongside Orik and Saphira towards the training field in order to be tested in prowess in both magic and weapons. He thought back the several days in his head. He remembered the awe-inspiring power of Naruto, the meeting with Ajihad, the slaying of the Ra'zac, the meeting of Angela and Solembum, and the meeting with Hrothgar, King of Dwarves. But his mind kept going back to Naruto.

Just how strong was he? Did he really come from beyond the Western Sea? Why did he want to travel together with him? How should he feel towards him after discovering he killed the Ra'zac? But in the end, he questioned himself, just who was he? A simple farm boy that was just there at the right time and place, or a Dragon Rider destined for greatness and war? These questions kept pouring through his young mind until Orik announced that they were there at the training field.

A large man approached them with a sword that was almost as big as Eragon.

"Orik, it's been a while, there is no one left for me to fight with you gone."

Orik chuckled, "That's because no one wants to be smacked by that monster sword of yours."

Fedric, the big man, just shook his head. "But you can handle it easily enough."

Orik just waved the comment off with a hint of amusement. "That's because I am not as slow as you or an oaf."

Fedric developed a large tick on his forehead that violently twitched as Eragon and Saphira shared a chuckle in their bond at the two friend's banter. After a moment, Fedric turned towards Eragon and Saphira, looked over him, and greeted, "Dragon rider and Dragon." as Eragon and Saphira nodded back.

Fedric smiled. "Well, Ajihad said we would have to evaluate you, so what weapons do you use?"

"My sword and bow."

The big man continued to question. "Anything else?"

"…My fists."

Fedric just roared with laughter and then questioned, "Good one, but where is the other one. The foreigner?"

Just as Eragon was about to answer the they did not know, a hand suddenly appeared over Fedric's shoulder and gripped said shoulder. With a whirl, Fedric unsheathed his sword in a smooth motion and sliced towards where the person with the offending hand should be. But when turned around, he did not see anyone, whether alive or dead. Then a voice sounded out behind Eragon and Saphira, "Yo, sorry I was late …but I got lost on the path of life, so I tried to find another path but then a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take long way, but along the long way, there was an old lady with a heavy load, so I had to help carry the load." Naruto said with two eye smiles.

Several tumbleweeds floated across the training field and with Fedric, Orik, Eragon, and Saphira just staring at Naruto with twitching ticks on their foreheads. Eragon wondered, " _How is this the guy that took down the Ra'zac, the nightmare of humanity of the Empire and the Varden? Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about that. Are there even any cats, other than Solembum, in here?_ "

"Well, now that we're all here, we can finally start…" Fedric started to say before scowling angrily over Eragon's shoulder.

"Stop! We will, as commanded by Ajihad, test his proficiency in magic first. We don't need him to be tired from banging on pieces of metal like a savage before our test." The two bald Twins commanded arrogantly. The bald man that they first met even dared to meet Naruto's eyes while with his twin, although the fear was still there.

"Why can't someone else test him?" Fedric asked.

"Because no one else is strong enough." The Twins smugly smiled.

Naruto dropped his hand on Fedric's shoulder again and told him, "As much as I would like to put the Twins in their place, I want to see what this "magic" can really do."

"Hn, well I can't deny my curiosity as well." Fedric relented.

As the twins and Eragon got into position, Naruto subtly changed his eyes to the Rinne-Sharingan to better see this "magic" flow. When the Twins told Eragon to float a stone, Naruto almost rolled his eyes to the back of his head. "Are you serious? This is supposed to be magic, not some…show! Don't tell me next is making the stone go in circles…" Then the two bald men instructed Eragon to make the stone go around in a circle. A large tick developed on his forehead. "I swear Kami is making fun of me." Naruto cried out in anime tears while the rest of the field just looked at him strangely.

" _But still, it would seem that Eragon and Saphira are not just connected at a mental level. From what I've seen, Saphira can freely provide energy needed for these spells...quite similar to a jinchuuriki actually, except his 'Bijuu' is not sealed inside of him, but rather outside with him while still being able to help physically and through providing energy. Very interesting. However, those Twins seem to be interfering with Eragon's magic with their own. If I were to compare just energy levels, Eragon would appear to have high-genin reserves, Saphira mid-chunin reserves, and each twin around mid-genin, although it's obvious that their physical level is...lacking._ " Naruto mused as he watched Eragon go through several spells while resisting the Twins.

Finally, the Twins came to one last spell while presenting a ring. "Summon the essence of silver." Naruto saw the confusion on Eragon's face and quickly deduced that this was a magic that only masters knew. Before he could interfere, a voice as clear as the finest Suna crystal and as vibrant as the forests around Konoha rang out.

"Stop!"

Startled, Naruto turned towards in the direction of the voice, only to feel his breath hitch as he saw what had to be the epitome of physical beauty: taller than most women and almost level with his eyes, her voluminous black hair cascaded down the silky smooth skin of her nape to her slender waist, the gentle swell of her breasts still clearly visible underneath her scaled, black leather armor. Her eyes, shining with the luster of the purest emeralds flecked with vibrant gold, glared at the men with more regality than most human kings...as a strikingly melodious voice that promised pain thundered towards the Twins.

"Shame! Shame to ask of him what only a master can do. Shame that you should use such methods. Shame that you told Ajihad you didn't know Eragon's abilities. He is competent. Now leave!" Naruto watched as Arya raised her hand, pointed her finger at the ring, and imperiously declare, "Arget!"

Naruto's eye widened at the sight of a ghost like image of silver forming beside the ring, except this image seemed far purer, and even realer than even the original. But what most startled him was the Mid-Chunin chakra levels Arya was emitting; it was the highest he had encountered since arriving in Alagaesia, far higher than even the boy with a dragon.

As the Twins turned and ran from her, Arya both cautiously and curiously glanced at the blonde stranger, taking in his lean yet strong physique, from the corner of her eyes who, from what she was told, played a large role in why she was still alive.

" _F_ _rom his muscular build and the the way he holds himself, he is no doubt a_ _seasoned warrior, and furthermore, no stranger to the violence or war._ " Having been the ambassador between the elves and the Varden, Arya had seen hundreds, if not thousands of warriors of all shapes and sizes, whether they be human, dwarf, elf, or even Urgal; it didn't matter if most of his body was obscured by his clothes. As she continued to trail her eyes over Naruto, other than his strange attire, especially his footwear - were those toes poking out? - she didn't manage to see anything extraordinary about him, or at least anything that would indicate he had powers beyond those of any here; if the report she received after awakening was to be believed, even she would find it difficult to match him.

And that made him all the more dangerous.

However, when Arya reached out with her mind, she made a startling discovery that shocked her to her core. " _No...there is something else about this Naruto; its feels as if nature herself...twists around him, wanting to become one with him yet somehow can't; only the Menoa Tree has ever given me a similar feeling. Combined with his_ _blonde hair and blue eyes, I can't recall anyone like him in all my travels. Just who is he?_ "

Beginning to stride towards the center of the training field, Arya blinked in surprise when he saw Naruto abruptly flashed a rather cheeky grin at her; she didn't expect him to detect her discreet observation. _"Observant_ _too, just like..._ " Realizing where her thoughts were unwittingly taking her, she mercilessly crushed them while turning away from the shinobi. Something about Naruto bothered her, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

However, that was neither here nor there. Closing her eyes, Arya refocused on the task at hand.

" _For now, I must test Eragon's skills with a blade and see whether the Dragon Rider we sacrificed everything for is ready._ "

Stopping in the center of the training field, she banished all thoughts except one from her mind.

" _I must see if...if their deaths were worth it._ "

Unsheathing her sword, Arya pointed its slender blade at Eragon.

"I claim the right of trial by arms. Draw your sword."

Notes:

Arget - true name of silver


	7. The Duel

Chapter 7

The entire field quieted at Arya's words. After all, it was not every day for the common man to witness an elf fighting. Then another voice rang out.

"Wait." Naruto stepped forward. While he knew that he should probably just let Eragon and Arya duke it out, he still wanted to test just how strong an elf was with his own body.

"Why are you interfering with my trial by arms?" Arya questioned, confused why anyone would want to interfere with the trial.

"Well, my name is Naruto, and as to why I'm interfering, I also wish to also participate in this trial by arms." Naruto responded.

While the rest of the field just stared in silence, Arya merely raised an eyebrow. "I see, so how exactly do you propose to do this. Will you fight me 2-on-1?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the response. _"Quite confident, isn't_ she?" "No, of course not. But I do have a method where all three of us can fight each other one at a time without consuming too much stamina in the process. However, you, Eragon, and Saphira will have to trust me."

The mentioned trio looked at each other, and with a small amount of hesitation nodded. Arya questioned, "Will this involve us bringing down our mental barriers? Because if so, then I will not do this."

"It won't. If anything, it will involve bringing you three into my mind." Naruto chuckled.

"In that case, do it." Arya said.

"Alright. Now look into my eyes. _Tsukuyomi_!" Naruto said as the training field faded away, giving way to a blood red field.

"What is this place? Where have you brought us?" Arya looked about in wonder; never in her century long life has she ever seen anything like this.

"This is my _Tsukuyomi_ , where I rule over time and space, where I am God of this space." Naruto announced, repeating the same words Itachi once used as Sasuke told him. "But in this case, I will make the both of you have the same amount of stamina and physical prowess you three have in the real world. Saphira, I brought you here in order for you to not worry about Eragon."

Refocusing her attention on the strange human, Arya drew her thin blade. "Very well, Eragon, draw your sword."

While Eragon was still confused at the technique, he did understand the purpose of doing this. As Eragon drew Zar'roc and got into his stance, he and Arya stared at each other while circling each other. However, the moment Eragon moved forward, Arya pounced.

" _Ho, she's fast._ " As Naruto watched Arya bat aside Eragon's sword like it was nothing, he revised his opinion, " _and strong._ " Naruto watched in interest as Eragon finally understood that the elf was far stronger and faster than him, and that this was the time to go all out. Immediately, Eragon began to execute a series of attacks at a speed that would make the men outside green with envy, but they were still slow in Naruto's eyes.

 _"Apparently, it's the same for her as well._ " Naruto mused as Arya countered each move with perfect precision while holding back enough that Eragon could fight and display everything he had. Finally, Eragon over-extended just a little too far with a lunge, which allowed Arya to sweep her sword up to his jawbone with a nimble sidestep.

As Eragon froze, there was a bugle and clapping from Saphira and Naruto respectively. Soon Arya lowered her sword and said, "You have passed."

"Well done. Now I will send you and Saphira out of this technique. Before you protest, you will have plenty of time to witness what I can do while we travel." Looking away from the pair, he ended technique for the two.

As Eragon and Saphira disappeared, Arya turned around to Naruto to ask, "I take it that you did not want Eragon to know of your true capabilities, or is it you did not want to frighten him?"

"Very good Arya, that is correct. I did not want Eragon to know of my abilities, at least my physical abilities, yet. I most of all did not want any of the Varden knowing just how powerful I am. If they did, that would just worry them even more about my abnormal abilities and I don't really want to divulge that just yet. However, most of all, I did not want him to witness the defeat of someone who handed his ass so easily." Naruto chuckled as Arya's eyebrows started to slant sharply.

"Enough talk. More than one human has underestimated me and met his end to my blade. Now draw your sword." Arya commanded as she noted that the small amount of stamina she lost during her fight with Eragon had recovered.

"Alright. But a word of advice: come at me with the intention to kill, or you will be embarrassed." Naruto said a tri-pronged kunai appeared in his hand from the seals on his arms.

If Arya was surprised, she did not show it other than a small raising of her eyebrows. But what came next startled her as Naruto literally disappeared from her vision. As Arya whirled her head around to find him, a voice came from behind her, "Come on Arya, don't disappoint me. Raise your awareness, sharpen your mind, and most of all, don't hesitate to try and kill me for if you do not…I may just kill you." Naruto said as Arya jumped away from the voice with wide eyes.

" _How did he get behind me? How did I not sense anything when he disappeared from in front of me? And how is this the speed of a human?_ " Arya's mind raced as fast as a dragon flies as she held her sword in front of her. " _Enough thinking. I will just treat him as an elf rather than a human_." Arya thought as she focused her eyes on Naruto.

" _Ah, her eyes have finally changed. Well then, let's dance!_ " Naruto thought as he rushed towards Arya while swinging one of his kunai straight at her temple. In a blur of movement, she leaned her head back just as the kuani brushed past her face while she tried to slice the human from hip to shoulder in front of her, only to find a hand clamping her arm in place as he used her momentum to flip over her head. "Come on, you'll have to do better than that!" Naruto yelled as Arya snarled at the blonde.

What happened in the next few minutes was beyond anything Arya expected despite her going all out on the human in front of her. " _Just how is he keeping up with me? No, maybe this is only a temporary thing. Let's see how long he can last._ " Arya thought while continuing slash and stab with her sword at the elusive blonde.

Seconds stretched to minutes…minutes seemed to stretch into hours…and hours stretched to beyond measurement as the two combatants hacked, slashed, stabbed, and whirled around each other to the point all that if a person was looking at them, all he or she could see would be a swirling mass of steel and the occasional point.

Time soon came to have no meaning as Arya discovered weaknesses in her fighting style that she never could have expected while still finding none in Naruto's. No, that was wrong, there were weaknesses, many in fact, but he was just too fast and strong for her to take advantage of them. All she could do was constantly engage in a fiery fight filled with sparks, smoking blades, torn leather, and evaporating sweat.

As they fought, Arya, who was now red in the face from exertion, started to have thoughts of the man in front of her, " _Who is this man? If he was only able to keep up with me, I would already be surprised. But the fact that I can tell that he might still holding back is suspicious as other than Galbatorix and the Dragon Riders, there should not be a single human capable of surpassing an elf. But I do have to admit, it is nice to finally have an opponent that does not just crumple after a few seconds._ " At the same time, Naruto was also having thoughts that somewhat mirrored Arya's, " _Hmmm, it would seem that her physical prowess rivals her energy reserves. However, what's most impressive, is her fighting form. Even though I'm limiting myself to high chunin reserves and wearing 50x resistance seals, I still cannot land a solid blow on her, only a few glancing blows. But she is tiring and is almost out of energy. I wish we could continue fighting, it has been too long since I've had a good spar, even if I am limiting myself severely"_ smiled Naruto. " _Unfortunately_ _, it's time to end this._ " Naruto decided as he jumped away from the fight with the elf looking confused at the pause.

As the elf and human stared at each other, panting and sweating although much less with the latter, Naruto shouted out, "Good, you have done well! I may be faster and stronger than you, but I still have not been able to land a clean blow on you. So, let us see how you handle this!" as he started to infuse chakra into his muscles rather than just let his chakra run through his pathways.

Arya thought as she panted, " _What does he mean by that. Don't tell me that he really was still hiding something…Barzul!_ " Arya thought as she felt something…different and threatening from the way Naruto was holding himself. In a second, Naruto disappeared from her vision and appeared in front of her while slashing at her neck. As Arya blocked the strike, she was shocked by the pure strength behind the blow as she was flung to the ground 10 feet away from her original position. " _What is this strength? Just how did he get so fast and strong?_ "

"Ho, so you managed to block that blow. Don't worry if you get mortally wounded, your death in this technique won't actually kill you in the real world…you'll just feel as if Saphira went on a rampage in your mind hehehe." Naruto chuckled creepily as Arya just sweat dropped.

"Are you serious?! Just because I can't die in your technique, that doesn't mean you have to try kill me?" Arya yelled back, momentarily forgetting the manners drilled into her during her childhood.

"Hehehe, get ready Arya. This will be the final clash between us. Now, let's dance!" Naruto said as he blurred into motion, creating afterimages from the sheer speed he was moving at. All Arya could do was harden her guard and deflect the blows that would have crippled, if not outright killed her while letting the less lethal blows through. Because of this, Arya quickly accumulated cuts and slashes all across her body, making what happened to her in Gil'ead seem like a lover's embrace. Finally, she fell to her knees, panting and sweating rivers down her entire body with only her sword, that was stabbed in the ground, holding her up from fully dropping to the ground.

A shadow fell on top of her as Naruto leaned over her to place a hand under her arm to get her back on her feet. After a brief and weak struggle, Arya allowed herself to rise with his help and raised her head just in time to look into those sapphire-blue eyes that looked so much like Saphira's scales. What startled her was the joy and contentment that she found in his eyes rather than the gloating that she expected from human that beat down an elf in a fair fight.

"Well done Arya, you danced well. We should do this more often. I feel like this could be the start of a beautiful relationship." Naruto cheekily said while smiling a foxy smile. With his eyes closed to his smile, he did not notice the brief blush that appeared and then almost instantly disappeared from Arya's cheeks.

"Humph, I guess we should. You fought well, despite fighting mostly like a barbarian. A fast and strong barbarian, but a barbarian nonetheless." Arya jibed as Naruto just pouted, further surprising her that such an expression could appear on such a fighter.

"Well, time to leave this technique. Get ready, such a fight will most likely have exhausted you mentally; so try to not fall on your ass when we're back in the real world." Naruto shot back. As Arya stared at the back of Naruto, her last thought as they left the plane was, " _What is this weird, yet not uncomfortable feeling I'm having…_ "


	8. Eve of Battle

Chapter 8

As Naruto ended the technique, both Eragon and Arya stumbled backwards, with Eragon leaning on Saphira and Arya managing to stabilize her footing. As they regained their bearings, they noticed that the soldiers that were on the field were just starting to form a circle around them.

" _What happened? Why are the soldiers only now starting to forming a circle around us? We've been fighting for at least a couple of hours(s), so why only now?_ " Eragon, Saphira, and Arya thought.

"I see that you guys are confused. Remember what I said in the _Tsukuyomi_?" Naruto asked. As they thought about what he said, their eyes widened when they remembered that he said, " _This is my Tsukuyomi, where I rule time and space, where I am God of this space._ "

"Yes, I can see you realized it. I can adjust the time in _Tsukuyomi_ such that a few hours in that space is merely a couple of seconds in the real world. And as such, we waste little time." Naruto revealed.

" _Little One, this is a terrifying technique. While this time he only used to keep the fight away from prying eyes, if used to torture someone…Moreover, due to this ability of his occurring in his mind and not actually in the victim's, there is no kind of mental defense against it. However, it would seem that he needs to actually have eye contact with you, or else the technique can't be used._ " Saphira warned Eragon to the possible application and "weakness" of the technique.

Eragon widened his eyes as he thought, " _Was this magic, or some kind of inherent ability of his? All he said was Tsukuyomi, but it doesn't sound like it's of the ancient language. Even if it is, only a single word cannot begin to describe the complexity this technique holds. This man is dangerous; if he's a friend, then all is well, but if he ever becomes an enemy, I'm afraid only Galbatorix can start to fight back against him._ "

" _What an ability. Just looking into his eyes and saying Tsukuyomi drew me into his mind. I could not even struggle against it. I must speak with him more and get to know him better to both get understand his motives and his…powers._ " Arya thought.

"Well then, I guess we are finished here. Ja ne." Naruto said as he turned around to leave the training field until a voice rang out.

"Wait, you and Eragon, follow me." Arya said as she tilted her head towards a knoll around a mile away from the field. After doing so, she started to run in that direction.

After he saw Eragon soar away on Saphira, Naruto just shrugged and thought, " _Well, why the hell not._ " Naruto casually walked over to where Arya and Eragon were already talking.

"Yo, hope I'm not intruding. So why exactly did you call me over here Arya?" Naruto asked.

"I just informed Eragon of the decision for him to go to Ellesméra, although not for a few weeks. I was wondering if you could come along. After all, from what I heard from Eragon, you wanted to be his companion and go wherever he goes."

"Ellesméra, the home of the elves? Sounds interesting, count me in." Naruto said. He then drew out two tri-pronged kunai and handed them to both Arya and Eragon. As they looked in confusion at him, Naruto said, "Please keep these on you. Should you ever need help or are in extreme danger, just throw these and I will be there in a flash." After speaking, Naruto shunshined away in a flurry of leaves from the two and back to his quarters.

 _Two Days Later_

Naruto was training in his Kamui dimension with a clone outside when all of a sudden a dwarf barged in. "You must come quickly. Great trouble is coming – Ajihad requests for you immediately! Follow me!"

When the dwarf turned around, the clone quickly dispelled, after which the real Naruto swirled back into reality, all before the dwarf could suspect a thing.

When he got to Ajihad's study, Naruto noticed that Eragon, Arya, Hrothgar and Orik were already there with the leader of the Varden, as well as another man that he introduced as Jörmundur, his second in command. They all turned towards Ajihad, wondering what the situation was.

"I roused the six of you because we are all in grave danger. About half an hour ago a dwarf ran out of an abandoned tunnel under Tronjheim. He was bleeding and nearly incoherent, but he had enough sense left to tell the dwarves what was pursuing him: an army of Urgals, maybe a day's march from here."

As Orik and Jörmundur burst into questions, Ajihad raised a hand to quiet them as he continued. "Quiet! There is more. The Urgals aren't approaching over land, but under it. They're in the tunnels . . . we're going to be attacked from below. The reason we weren't aware sooner was because of the vast array of tunnels that riddle the Beor Mountains, with maybe hundreds unused since the day they were constructed. But I digress"

Ajihad pulled out an extremely detailed map of the southern half of Alagaesia. He then pointed out a spot. "This is where the dwarf claimed that the Urgals were coming from. Apparently this was a place called Orthíad, an ancient dwelling that has been used for enough years for certain tunnels to collapse. But most importantly, we still do not know how many Urgals there are, or whether the Empire has augmented them with its own troops."

"Wait, I believe I can help with that. Just trust me on this and give me several minutes." Naruto said as he saw several expressions of disbelief. They watched as they saw Naruto suddenly still and gasped when they saw his slowly opening eyes. To Arya and Eragon, they were less surprised due to having to look into Naruto's eyes during his _Tsukuyomi_ , but even they were surprised when they saw a golden, instead of purple iris. But that's not what surprised Arya and Eragon most. It was the pure power with a feeling of nature coming from Naruto, a power that Arya only felt from the Menoa Tree back in the forests of Ellesméra. Then the power they felt faded as Naruto's switched from golden, to purple, and finally to sapphire-blue.

"There are approximately 12,000 Urgals and Kull fast approaching here. They should be here in about a day. But curiously, their minds seem all be connected to a particularly dark mind that consists of three parts." Naruto informed the others.

"How do you know this? And from your information, if true, it would seem Durza the Shade is coming here as well." Ajihad said as he stared at Naruto, trying to discern whether he was lying or not, and eventually stopped when he saw that the blond was not lying.

"How I know is my own business, but I must ask you how you intend to fight such a force. From what I have sensed, you have far fewer men and women capable of fighting in this battle: around 10,000 if I'm correct. Not only are you outnumbered, but from what I know, each Urgal or Kull has a fighting prowess of several men or dwarves." Naruto questioned.

"The plan so far is to divide the army into 3000 per entrance while keeping 1000 in reserve. But personally, I'm afraid that 3000 men and dwarves per entrance is just far too few to stave off an Urgal and Kull army that already outnumbers us." Ajihad sighed.

"Then, let me take one of the entrances while you split the army into 4500 per entrance and still keep 1000 in reserve." Naruto offered.

Surprisingly, it was not Ajihad that retorted first, but Arya. "Naruto, no, you can't do this. No matter how powerful you are, you still cannot handle a potential 4000 Urgals and Kull all by yourself. Not even an elven Dragon Rider with his dragon could stave off an army that size within such a limited space."

"Naruto, she is right. Despite what I've heard of what you did to help Eragon, 4000 Urgals and Kull are far too much. No, I cannot allow this." Ajihad said. Eragon, although he did not say anything, agreed with Ajihad and Arya and worried that his friend, despite only knowing him for a week, was biting off more than he could chew.

"Ajihad, Arya…with all due respect, you do not know me well enough to make that decision. And I believe I should inform you what I was most known for in my homeland." Naruto said as he started to leave the study. "I was known as an Army Killer…" Naruto's voice echoed as he disappeared from view.

Arya questioned, "So what did you mean by helping Eragon earlier?"

Eragon answered, "Before arriving at the Varden, we were on the wrong side of the waterfall, so we were about to be overrun by several hundred of Urgals and Kull, he suddenly appeared before us and suddenly did some kind of spell that wiped them all out with white flames hot enough to force even Saphira to look away." Arya just widened her eyes at the description. Such a thing would be possible by elves, but even then it would take several of the strongest elven spell casters to even begin to replicate such a feat.

" _Just who are you?_ " Arya thought as Ajihad made the decision to trust in Naruto in this.

Time passed quickly for Eragon as he went about collapsing over a dozen tunnels so that the Urgal army could be directed towards three chosen tunnels. As he did, he wondered just how Naruto was going to combat so many Urgals and Kull.

" _Little One, don't worry too much about Naruto. From what we've seen, even if he can't kill all of them, he can escape easily enough. You remember the devastating white fire and impossible speeds that he can move at. Just focus on our part of the upcoming battle and all will be well._ "

" _I know Saphira, but I still can't help but worry about him. I haven't even known him for that long, and yet for some reason I feel like I would lose another friend should he die or disappear. After all, he has avenged my uncle and Brom. However, I will get my answers from him after this battle, even if I must be stubborn about it._ "

As Eragon waited in a suit of fine armor given by the dwarven king Hrothgar, behind the barricades that the Varden set up in front of the three entrances, he looked around. On one side, he saw Orik sharpening his axe and Saphira in the armor that Hrothgar also provided. Eragon was thankful to the dwarven king, knowing that the armors that Saphira and he wore were worth several prince ransoms if not more. Then on the other side, he saw a sea of soldiers. On every soldier was a grim face with eyes that constantly flickered between the entrances and the weapons they all held in their hands. As he kept looking, he found a figure that stood out from the rest of the battlefield.

"Arya? What are you doing here?" Eragon asked, with confusion but not as much concern in his tone.

"I am here because it is my Wyrd to be there. I must repay my debt to you and would be dishonored should I not guard you when you need it most. Arya responded in a steely tone and with hard, but not cold eyes.

Eragon struggled for a moment, with his life-long beliefs that women should not fight in a man's fight to the fact she did destroy him in their duel in Naruto's _Tsukuyomi_ before experience finally won out against his beliefs. "I…understand. I might not like it, but I have learned enough from my journey that each race has different beliefs and besides, you did beat me in our duel earlier."

Arya blinked several times before offering a small smile. "I would have thought that you would argue with my being on the battlefield and then I would have to explain why such beliefs are completely wrong. But it would seem that you are already on the road to becoming a fine Dragon Rider in both body and mind."

"Anyways, where is Naruto. He did say he would take one of the entrances…there he is, wait…MURTAGH!"

Orik's and Arya's head twisted towards where Eragon was looking at and saw Naruto and Murtagh coming towards them together. They observed that Naruto was wearing no armor except for a steel fishnet that was visible under a green vest. He also wore dark blue pants and a white coat with some symbols running down its back and red flames at the bottom. They also noticed as Eragon ran and hugged Murtagh the same three-pronged kuani at Murtagh's hip. Before Orik could protest, Naruto waved a hand at him said, "Ajihad granted my request in letting out Murtagh after his loyalty against the Empire was proven."

"Naruto, are you still going to handle one of the entrances by yourself? If needed, I also have a debt to repay too and will stand by your side against any and all foes you face." Arya said.

"Yeah, I am sure. There will be no need for you to help me with the entrance. But Eragon, I have a couple of things to say to you." Naruto said, turning towards Eragon and thus missing the slightly disappointed look on Arya's face. He then grabbed Eragon's shoulder and brought their eyes level with each other.

What Eragon saw in those eyes surprised him, as they were completely different from the playful and laughter-filled eyes that he was so used to seeing on the blonde. Instead, he saw the eyes of a hardened veteran and leader. His attention was brought once more to Naruto once he began speaking. "Eragon, from what I've heard, this will be the first major battle that you will be a part of. Know this: this battle will be completely different from the skirmishes that you have been a part of. For every enemy you kill, there will be several more to take his place. Do not be surprised. Keep your focus and know that your comrades, especially Saphira, are guarding your back and will not hesitate to you help you when you need it. Second, remember to use that kunai that I gave you earlier should ever be in a hopeless situation. I promise you that I will be there to help you, and if you must know anything about me, it's that I have and will never break a promise! Now, stay safe and let the will of fire burn through you!" Naruto finished while bringing Eragon back to his full height.

As Naruto reminded Arya about the kunai, Eragon pondered on his words and softly smiled. " _It seems like I have made another friend like Murtagh._ "

" _Yes you have Little One, yes you have._ " Saphira thought back as the battle no longer seemed as dark as before.

As Ajihad passed by, he pointed towards the leftmost cave. "Naruto, that will be the entrance that you will be guarding. I also have the 1000 reserve troops near your location should you need it."

Naruto only shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Keep those men near your armies. Trust me to fulfill my duties, and you will be glad you did."

Ajihad stared at Naruto and then just nodded as he rode away to the part of the army that he commanded.

Several hours later, a scout ran out of the tunnels with the news that the Urgals were here. The battle was about to begin.

Notes:

Naruto is able to switch between his normal blue eyes and the Rinne-Sharingan.

Wryd – fate/destiny


	9. Battle of Farthen Dûr

Chapter 9

As Naruto felt the Urgals come, he felt a familiar pull in his mind.

" _KIT, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO WAKE ME UP WHEN SOMETHING INTERESTING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU WERE ABOUT TO GO MASSACRE AN ARMY WITHOUT ME. I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS?_ " Kurama roared out at Naruto.

"Uh…sorry about that. I sort of forgot about you…" Naruto instantly regretted his words as he felt a nostalgic, if terrifying feeling coming over his mind.

" _Hehehe…the kit has finally grown up. Forgetting little old me…you know the giant fox with ten tails that make mountains look tiny. No of course not, you FORGOT…what should I do to make you remember? Maybe destroy your ramen bowls? Nonono, that's too nice. Ah, maybe finding a way to release Kaguya from the seal? Oh wait…maybe I should play the Lee-Guy Genjutsu of sunny death…_ " Kurama murmured darkly.

" _Oi, stop right there! Remember if I see that genjutsu, you will also see it! Anyways, we're about to go into a battle!"_ Naruto blabbered, trying desperately to stop the crazy Juubi from driving him insane and possibly ending the world. " _So how do you think we should approach this battle. As you've probably seen from my memories, these Urgals are at most Low-Chunin in power, Low-Genin in speed, and Academy-Level in energy. The only thing is that there are around 4000 of them in a small space._ "

After his little rant, Kurama thought a bit before responding, " _Well, if we want to get the most out of this battle to evolve your body further, you should keep the 30x resistance seals. At the same time, you should probably use jutsus that will strain your high chunin reserves and yet destroy all of them while fighting in a confined space._ "

" _I see. Alright, let's dance!_ " Naruto thought back and with Kurama groaning at his host's use of Madara's signature phrase.

All of the Varden that could see the blonde stared at him strangely as he suddenly bent down in a stance that looked like when Guy did his ultimate move, Night Guy. But then there was a single loud crack as Naruto pushed off the ground, leaving a small crater in the solid rock, and towards his tunnel. As he approached the tunnel, Naruto ran through several hand seals, drew in his breath and then let out a wave of lava towards the entrance of the tunnel, " _YOTON: YOKAI NO JUTSU_!" Before the lava could completely solidify over the entrance, he disappeared into the tunnel as the lava sealed off the entrance.

Eragon turned towards Sapphira, Murtagh, Orik, and Arya. "Did I see that correctly? First he moved fast enough to disappear from view, cracked the ground with the very force of his movement, and sprayed some kind of lava…from his mouth to seal off the entrance?" Everyone just nodded dumbly. "Well…barzul."

Arya had similar thoughts as well. " _He moved even faster than in our duel and can do spells that I have never heard of. After this battle, I will definitely get my answers to get to know him better._ "

As Naruto landed inside of the tunnel, he looked behind him towards the sealed off entrance. "Well, now they won't be able to see my abilities." He did a few more hand-seals and then breathed out a fine corrosive mist. " _Futton: Komu no Jutsu_ " Then without any hand-seals, Naruto inhaled and then breathed out a gust of wind, " _FUUTON: DAITOPPA!_ " making the cloud of corrosive mist rush down the tunnel.

As the first Urgals rounded a corner, they saw the silhouette of a single human behind a cloud of mist that was rushing towards them. But what enraged them was that the entrance behind the human blocked. With red eyes, they rushed towards the blonde, intent on ripping him into shreds. As the lead Urgals rushed into the mist, they suddenly felt unimaginable pain everywhere on their bodies. When they looked down at their bodies, they were horrified as they saw their skin melt and collect into puddles of flesh and blood on the floor. In but a few seconds of screaming, all that was left of the first Urgals were puddles of flesh, blood, bone, and steel. As the rest of the Urgals and Kull rushed around the same corner, they stopped, terrified at the sight of their melted comrades, as well as an ever slightly thinned cloud of mist. But soon they received mental orders from the Shade to continue on, and ran into the mist with the same thing happening to them. It was only when a thousand Urgals rushed into the tunnel that the mist finally dispersed, having fully been absorbed by the melted bodies of the Urgals.

" _Well, that worked better than expected. Kekkai Genkai users truly were cheat sheets._ " Naruto thought to Kurama.

" _Considering you're now able to use all Kekkai Genkai with more training, possibly create new Kekkai Genkai, and have the Rinne-Sharingan that can use all of the abilities of previous Sharingans, I don't think you can complain about cheats._ " Kurama snorted.

" _Tch, whatever. Well, my High-Jonin chakra reserves are at around 20%, even with my denser and more potent chakra, so that would have possibly made Mei Terumi faint because of chakra exhaustion._ " Naruto thought as he pulled out a handle with intricate seals running down its length. " _Well, time to get physical._ "

Eragon felt like hell. For the past hour, he had been killing Urgals and Kull nonstop on foot, on Saphira, with magic, by bow, and by sword. But for every single one killed, two came to replace him. It was only because of Naruto's earlier words that he was able to avoid breaking down both physically and mentally. As Eragon got into dangerous situations that he could not get out of by himself, Naruto's words once again came true as Saphira, Hrothgar, and Murtagh came to help him out even at great cost to themselves. It made Eragon really realize that under Naruto's sunny exterior, was a veteran warrior to the bone.

Now as Eragon looked down at the battle from the back of Sapphira, he observed that the Urgals and Kull were streaming out of two of the three tunnels and were fighting the armies led by Ajihad and Hrothgar. However, the third sealed entrance remained sealed and strangely silent.

" _Whatever he's doing, it's pretty damn effective._ " Suddenly a consciousness not his own or Saphira's entered his mind.

" _There are loud noises under Tronjheim. It sounds like the Urgals are trying to dig into the city…_ "

Eragon quickly spotted Arya among a mass of Urgals and Kull. He and Saphira flew down from above and quickly cleared the area while Eragon shouted, "GET ON!" as Arya swept her sword in a circle to kill the Urgals around her and gracefully leapt onto Saphira and behind Eragon.

Just as Saphira was about to take off, a Kull rushed in with an upraised axe and smashed into her chest. With a roar of pain, Saphira still managed to take off from the ground, but not before Arya shot out a green ball of energy that passed through the Kull, killing it instantly.

" _Are you alright?_ " Eragon asked in concern, feeling the pain and shock of Saphira through their bond.

" _I'll live, she said grimly, but the front of my armor has been crushed together. It hurts my chest, and I'm having trouble moving._ "

Eragon notified Arya of Sapphira's condition and flew up to the dragonhold.

When the Urgals and Kull found that the mist had dispersed and that the source of the pain and death of a thousand of their comrades was just standing there with only a handle in his hand, they charged with swords and axes raised, intent on destroying the human responsible for annihilating a quarter of their numbers.

As the first Kull of the group swung his sword down at the blonde, he suddenly saw a flash of yellow light and then darkness as his head fell from his shoulders. The last thing the Kull heard in his fading conscience was, " _Raijin no Ken_ ".

The rest of the Urgals and Kull ignored their comrade's death to all slash at the offending blonde. With a speed that would have put an elf's to shame and possibly tear apart a regular human's body, Naruto weaved through all of the weapons flying at him while slashing and stabbing through bodies and armor like butter.

" _Yes, keep going! Destroy them. Push your body to the limit and beyond. There is no greater joy than improving your body while massacring your enemies!_ " The giant fox in his gut said.

In a battle, there is yelling, there is screaming, but to the Urgals in the back, there was no such sound the moment Naruto pulled out the Raijin no Ken. As they started to snarl in annoyance at the hold up, they froze when saw the Urgals and Kull in front of them simply fall apart with a flash of yellow light. Even without the Hiraishin no Jutsu and limited by 30x resistance seals, Naruto was moving at a speed faster than the they could process. And in that time that they took to process that something was moving too fast for them to even see while slaughtering their comrades, they died. By the end of the hour, where there was once an army that could have easily taken a minor city in the Empire, there was only reddish-black puddles and burnt slices of Urgals and Kull that littered the ground.

"Whew, that was slightly tiring, especially when my body is limited like this. Still, that wasn't much of a challenge." Naruto said to no one in particular.

" _Well, that was to be expected. After all, even with all of the limitations, you are still the God of the Shinobi World. There was no way these ugly humans could have possibly challenged you enough to try hard. Even then, I can sense that your body has slightly improved. Your chakra pathways have already ever so slightly increased in size and your muscle fiber and bone density have also increased by a small amount. You could probably take a hit from your pink-haired teammate and not move at all._ " Kurama summarized.

" _Well…_ " Naruto started before feeling a tug towards a single point in space. " _Somebody threw the Hiraishin kunai that I gave them. Well, let's go!_ " Naruto thought as he allowed himself to be pulled towards the marker.

Eragon knelt on the ground as Durza slowly invaded his mind. " _What was I thinking? I should have waited Arya, Sapphira, Murtagh, or Naruto. Wait, Naruto?_ " Eragon thought as he yanked the tri-pronged kuani from his belt and thought back to Naruto's words. While not expecting much, he threw the kunai if only to buy another second for anybody to show up and help.

As Durza was about to slice down through the thrown kunai and rend Eragon's back from shoulder to hip, a yellow flash blinded both of them as Naruto suddenly appeared a foot above the thrown kunai. " _FUUTON: KAZE RASENGAN_ " Naruto yelled out as he shoved a stormy grey spiraling sphere of pure wind chakra that he completed in his Kamui dimension before the battle into and through the Shade's sword while immobilizing Durza due to the sudden turbulence from the exploding sphere.

" _BRINSINGR_!" Eragon yelled out as he took advantage of the opening, lunged forward with the first spell he ever used and with heatless, flickering flames blazing down Zar'roc's length…

And stabbed Durza through the heart.

As Durza roared out to the ceiling, his face ran through a series of emotions: disbelief, pain, anger, burning rage, and finally despair as his skin turned transparent. Instead of red flesh and white bone, pure darkness violent swirled as it broke through the skin and into three entities that tried to invade their killer's mind.

"Oh no you don't. You're not taking a friend from me! _NINGENDO_!" Naruto yelled out as he ripped the three entities away from Eragon and sent them to the King of Hell.

As the Urgals slowly came to terms of what happened, they charged with murderous roars towards the duo. As Eragon coughed and panted, Naruto stood there without flinching, just watching as the Urgals came at them. "Well done, maybe next time you can do this without me." Naruto said cheekily as he swept his hand in front of him, eyes blazing. As Eragon started to panic at the swift approach of the remaining Urgals, Naruto whispered, "Now now Eragon, relax. It'll all be over in a second." Eragon wondered what he meant until he heard the next words.

" _SHINRA…TENSEI!_ "

A crater erupted where the two stood and expanded while sweeping the Urgals and Kull away from the two while ripping their flesh and breaking their bones with pure gravitational forces.

As the dust settled, there almost nothing left of the enemy, or of the original room for that matter. As Eragon stood there in disbelief, he asked, "So, you can breathe white fire and lava, move faster than an elf, appear in a yellow flash, and slam everyone around you while pulverizing them to bits? Did I miss anything?"

"Uh well…that yellow flash thing…that wasn't movement, that was instant teleportation, you know like going through time and space yeah?" Naruto said in an amused tone.

"Right…teleportation, of course…WAIT, TELEPORTATION?" Eragon almost screamed as his vision darkened and fainted towards the ground.

"Yup." Naruto grinned as he grabbed Eragon before he touched the ground and slipped the Hiraishin kuani back into Eragon's belt.

Notes:

Yoton: Yokai No Jutsu – Lava Release: Melting Technique

Futton: Komu no Jutsu – Boil Release: Solid Fog Jutsu

Raijin no Ken – Sword of the Thunder God

Fuuton: Kaze Rasengan – Wind Style: Wind Rasengan (Original technique)

Shinra Tensei – Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God, or Almighty Push


	10. The Reveal

Chapter 10

Naruto stood silently in Ajihad's study while surrounded by Eragon, Arya, Hrothgar, and Ajihad. As he looked back at the others that were staring at him, he wondered how this came to be.

 _Flashback_

 _At the end of the battle, when the Urgals started to desperately retreat, Ajihad ordered the uncovering of the lava-sealed entrance. When the entrance was finally unsealed, the leader of the Varden walked in with a heavy heart, fully expecting to see a corpse with blonde hair and dead blue eyes. Instead, he saw a horrifying sight that he in his long career of fighting had never seen before._

 _"_ _What happened here? What are those puddles, are they Urgals? And what are those burned cut marks? Just what kind of weapon or spell could have done this?" Ajihad wondered._

 _"_ _But where is he? There must be over a thousand corpses here, and that's just the intact ones that I can see!" he thought as a dwarf ran over and nearly vomited at the sight._

 _"_ _Sir, Eragon and Naruto have killed Durza the Shade!"_

 _"_ _I see. So that's why the Urgals started to retreat. Naruto did say that the minds of the Urgals were strangely connected and to one common source that was dark. But still, just who is this guy that could know so much information and kill an entire army?" Ajihad thought._

 _"_ _You, get Eragon, Arya, Hrothgar and Naruto to my study. Now!" The leader of the Varden commanded._

 _"_ _Yes sir!" The dwarf said as he ran off._

 _Flashback End_

"Naruto, first, I want to thank you on behalf of the Varden for your acts of valor. Had you not occupied a tunnel, the losses the Varden would have faced would have been catastrophic. We would have lost at least half of our men and dwarves in this single encounter which would have led to increased tensions between us and the dwarves. I also want to thank you for saving Eragon and help killing Durza the Shade. It had been one of my greatest regrets not killing the scourge that caused so much suffering. However, as the leader of the Varden, I cannot allow some things be unknown to me. I think it is about time you explain to us who exactly are you?" Ajihad said with a steely tone as his hand drifted down towards his sword.

Naruto looked across the room and saw the same question in each of their eyes.

" _Kurama, I don't think we can stay with the Varden if we don't give some information now. That or they would never trust me enough to truly help them. While I could just cast a genjutsu on them with my eyes, it would be wrong and be against everything I am._ " Naruto sighed in his mind.

" _Well Kit, then I suggest giving the information they want. However, if you're going to do what you're going to do, try to keep the later end of your life in the Elemental Nations mostly a secret. They don't have to know your current level of power. If they did, they would either fear you and try to end you or worship the ground you walk on, which I know is not something you will ever want._ " Kurama advised.

Naruto nodded as he looked at each of them. "Ajihad, Eragon, Arya, King Hrothgar, I understand your concerns. As a former leader of my village, I would never let such a powerful unknown stay where I am responsible for so many lives. As such, rather than tell you who I am, let me show you." Suddenly, he intensely peered at them, staring at each of them as he discerned from their auras how trustworthy they were. "However, before I do so, promise nothing leaves this room unless I allow it."

While Eragon, Ajihad, and Hrothgar communicated with their eyes, Arya hesitated for a second before gracefully nodding her agreement. Soon they too agreed with the condition.

Upon seeing how their auras and words matched, the former Hokage's closed his eyes before opening them once again, causing them all to instinctively shiver at the sight of the Rinne-Sharingan. He warned them, "Now brace yourselves, this will be disorienting. _Tsukuyomi!_ "

Everyone in the room experienced a brief moment of spinning darkness until they landed in a red landscape with red skies and a single bright white moon in the sky. As Ajihad and Hrothgar moved to grab their weapons, Arya and Eragon remained calm until they saw Naruto emerge in front of them.

"Welcome to my _Tsukuyomi_ , where I rule over time and space, where I am God of this space." Naruto said. "Worry not Ajihad and King Hrothgar, what you see is all merely an illusion that only I can break, or a person with extraordinary will can break. I will be using this space to show parts of my past. Then you can see for yourself just who I am." Naruto said as he conjured the first memory.

Instantly, the five of them appeared in the sky while looking over a village glistening in the sun while surrounded by an enormous forest of green trees.

"This is Konohagakure no Sato, or in your tongue, The Village Hidden in the Leaves, the place where I was born." Naruto said as everyone just looked strangely at him. "Don't give me those looks. I didn't pick the name. Besides, what kind of name is The Empire. So unoriginal." Naruto muttered.

The audience chuckled as Naruto continued. "In addition to Konoha, there were four other hidden villages: Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure." Images flashed by as each village was shown. "Each of these villages were ruled by a Kage who governed the village through a dictatorship with a military force called the Shinobi, which is what I am. These Shinobi were different compared to regular people in that they could use an energy called chakra, which is sort of like the magic used in this land."

Soon, scenes of Shinobi performing various jutsus were shown to them, which elicited murmurs of awe as various elements were bent to their will. "Would it be possible for you to teach others these...jutsus?" Ajihad almost immediately questioned after seeing the great potential these jutsus could bring to the war.

"From what I have seen so far in Alagaesia, the answer would be no. While the energy used to power both magic and jutsus seem similar, the way it's used is almost completely different, making it almost impossible for the inhabitants of Alagaesia to utilize chakra we do." Naruto replied and thought, " _While it's definitely impossible regular spell casters to use jutsus, it's different for Eragon and, from what I've seen, the elves. They seem to have enough chakra in their system to use them. However, Ajihad doesn't need to know this. I would be damned if I made the same mistake as Hagaromo Ji-san and introduce a new era of warfare, except this time the cause of it being me._ " as the leader of the Varden frowned before dismissing the option.

Seeing that there were no more questions, Naruto soon brought up a picture of himself when he was a child, "When I was born, the villages were mostly at peace with one another, which could be considered fortunate as previously three Great Shinobi Wars were fought, with the last being only a few years prior to my birth. However, there were still skirmishes between the borders of the various villages, as well as bandits that plagued the road, so Shinobi were very much in demand."

More scenes flashed by until Naruto stopped at one that showed when he got his forehead protector engraved with the symbol of the leaf. "In my land, we were sent to the Academy where we were trained, starting at 8 years old, and then graduating at around 12-13 years old. From there, we were sent on missions until we accumulated enough experience and reached a certain level of strength to be promoted through the ranks."

"Wait, did you say that you started training at 8 years old to kill other people? How could the adults force their children to do so? That's just barba-" Eragon would have continued if Naruto hadn't started to glare at him. But he did, and eventually Eragon took the hint to stop talking.

"Eragon, my society was a heavily militarized one. It was our way of life to do everything for the village, whether it be killing our enemies, protecting the civilians, or even dying to protect the village. Even if you do not understand us, do not disrespect how we lived, because it is an insult to those who have given their very lives, many of them being my friends, for the village." Naruto briskly answered as Eragon thought about what he said.

For a moment, nobody said anything until he coughed and started to show selected scenes of the war against Madara and Kaguya. "Anyways, things were relatively peaceful through my childhood until a madman decided that he wanted to control the world, and initiated the Fourth Shinobi War. It was in this war where I became a war hero and according to others, single-handedly ended the war, which in my opinion is a complete overstatement as I had plenty of help from my comrades. After that I became the Nanadaime, or the seventh, Hokage of Konoha."

The trio looked at Naruto in surprise. Although they knew he was powerful, they never imagined that he was somebody that could end a war between people - no, shinobi - that from their point of view, could literally conquer Alagaesia without much resistance, except possibly from the elves. " _Even then, I'm not sure we could stop them, from what I've seen and felt, we would be probably be overrun by the end of a week. Still, although he talked about where he came from and his people, he didn't really talk about himself other than the fact he ended a major war and became the...Hokage?...of his village. I'll have to ask more later and it would give me a chance to get close to him._ " Arya thought as Ajihad and Eragon came to their own opinions.

" _This Naruto is somebody who is immensely powerful and could be a worse threat than Galbatorix ever could. But at the same time, he seems sympathetic to our cause. If we have him on our side, he could be the deciding factor of this war, along with Eragon and Saphira. For now, let's try not to antagonize him._ " the leader of the Varden weighed his options as he decided that it would be best to have Naruto as a friend rather than a foe.

As for Eragon, he was stunned at the origins of his friend, but after getting over the fact that children were trained to become killers, he realized that Naruto really was similar to him. " _If we ignore that he seems to be overly powerful, I could say we share many similarities. We were both ordinary people...at first until certain events pushed us towards early maturity. In his homeland, he was viewed as the hope to end his war while I am similarly viewed as the one to end Galbatorix's reign. If he really is the same type of person as I am, I don't think I have anything worry about, but just in case, I'll keep an eye out on him._ "

"And that's basically who I am and where I came from." Several seconds of silence ticked by until Naruto slapped his head. "Oh, how could I forget. I also came from the Elemental Nations which is across your western sea."

All they could do was look on as the man declared he was the first in 3000 years to come from the other side of the sea.

Notes

I apologize for the long trip down memory lane. But I felt like for the story to be more than a shallow crossover, the others need to know what made Naruto, well Naruto. They had to see the pain, joy, and despair he went and braved through as he emerged a stronger and better person.

For future crossovers, I will probably cite this chapter instead of rewriting the entire past again, or drastically shorten it.

Other than that, thank you so much for reading my story. This is my very first story ever and I'm glad some people enjoy it. Thank you!


	11. Acceptance

Chapter 11

While the group of four stared at him, Naruto thought, " _What to do if they don't accept me for who I am? Hmmm…if this all backfires, then even if I don't want to, I will use Kotoamatsumaki to make them at least not think about exactly who I am as well as erasing this meeting._ "

As Naruto's Rinne-Sharingan started to slowly spin, Ajihad ever his head towards him. "Naruto, thank you for telling us more about yourself. However, I must know, can other shinobi come from across the sea? Because if yes, after taking down Galbatorix, certain measures have to be taken. And if they do come, who will you stand with?" Naruto nodded at the question, finding it completely logical to worry about a powerful outside force potentially invading their home, all the while having a potential threat literally in that said home.

"From what I know, other shinobi could possibly come from across the sea." Naruto waved his hands to calm the suddenly tensed rebel leader. "However, it took me a solid two months by boat and even then the only reason I survived was because of how powerful I am. In addition, even if somebody was able to land here, he or she would never be able to go back because there is a natural barrier that only lets people go out, but never back in. So you don't have anything worry about from the Elemental Nations." Ajihad relaxed when he heard that there was nothing to worry about from the other side of the sea. But soon, he narrowed his eyes.

"However, I could sense that you left out much of your memories, especially when you were...the Hokage. I just hope that you are still the war hero that in turn saved many lives." Ajihad turned around to leave the study and hunt the remaining Urgals and disappearing from view.

Hrothgar left the study as soon Ajihad did, but before leaving turned around to look at Naruto once more with an approving look in his eyes.

Eragon stood in front of Naruto looking at the floor before raising his head and looked directly in Naruto's eyes. "Naruto, from what I've seen, I see that we are actually quite similar. From what I could tell from the images you showed us, you were an orphan who then became the hope of your people that ended your war, while I was a mere farmboy who then became a Dragon Rider who people think will overthrow Galbatorix. But just how am I supposed to that? Everyone seems to think that just because I'm a Dragon Rider that I all I have to do is say a word and Galbatorix would come crumbling down." Eragon's shoulders slumped as started to question the immensity of his task.

"Eragon, what you said before is true: we are very similar, both in circumstance and from what I see, personality too. So if you are at all like me, you are currently thinking that the whole world is on your shoulders, right?" Naruto chuckled as he received a confused nod from the young Rider. "Then know this, you are not alone in this fight, you never were. While you might be the key to ending Galbaotorix's rule, you will have allies and comrades that will stand by your side to whatever end. And now with me here, while I will try to not interfere in your destiny, I will make sure that you succeed and become who you always wanted to be." The blonde patted Eragon's shoulders as he smiled in encouragement as the younger man smiled in return.

"Thank you Naruto for the advice. After facing Durza and almost dying, I had thought that I was a failure of a Rider, needing to be saved while being able to do anything by myself. But now I know better. One man, even with his dragon, will not be able to single-handedly change the course of this kind of war, unless they're like you. And thanks for being my friend." Eragon smiled as he turned around to leave the study to Saphira.

Naruto smiled as he watched Eragon leave the room. " _Eragon, you and Saphira remind me so much of me when I was young…and just like Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei did for me, I will teach you what I can, shield you from what I should, and be there when you need me._ " Naruto thought as he started to leave the room.

"Wait." Came, or rather rang out a clear voice from behind him as Naruto belatedly realized that he was not alone in the room still.

"Yes?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto. First, I want you to know that I am sorry for not trusting you earlier even when you played a hand in my rescue to the Varden." As Naruto started to wave his hand to stop her, Arya started speaking again while lifting a finger to silence the blonde.

"Stop, let me finish. You should know that when you first drew us into your _Tsukuyomi_ on the training field, I was frightened and ashamed. Know that I was not afraid for my life, but because I thought that I had failed in protecting Eragon from an attack. But most of all, I felt ashamed in how easily I was drawn into your mind despite the mental barriers I still had up. What you might not know is that us elves as a race are not only far stronger physically than humans, but we are also far superior in magic to humans, hence leading towards us having near unbreakable mental barriers. Not even Durza the Shade was able to break me despite trying to do so for months." Arya said as she drew in more breath to speak.

"You have no idea how ashamed I was when, in my eyes, a mere human broke past my barriers and then proceeded to show me up in a physical fight…despite fighting like a barbarian. Although I now understand how you were able to after seeing what you showed us." Arya smirked as she saw Naruto pout, further amazed that he could show such an expression despite his past.

"Lastly, I wanted you to know this. Towards the end of your memories, I realized that you look almost exactly the same, as you did before when you were Hokage. And from what I gathered, you looked as if you were in your late twenties, but then I know you would never abandon your village just to come overseas, not when you have so much life to give to your village. So I have to ask how old are you really?" Arya asked. Although there were more questions that she wanted to ask including how powerful he was, they weren't appropriate until they got to know each other better.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the question, surprised that of all questions, it was his age that got the elf curious. "When I ended the Fourth Shinobi War, I was 17 and when I became Hokage I was 28. However, by then I had stopped aging, even until now at 100 years old. Why do you ask?"

"I was curious because the way you carry yourself is not the way a young or even middle-aged human would. I would know with my century worth of experience of being among the other races of Alagaesia." Naruto's eyes widened when he learned that the beautiful woman in front of him was of similar age to him, "So you should know that us elves are too immortal. From what you showed us, you are a unique case as the other shinobi in the images all seemed to age. Because of this, I can only imagine how much pain you have gone through as you watched the people you cared about fade away one at a time. So remember, you are not alone in this world Naruto. When others fade away in time, know that you will forever have someone to turn to in me." Arya said before turning to quickly walk away from the study.

" _Well, that went better than I thought._ " Naruto sighed.

" _That would be a terrible understatement brat. Almost all humans, or two-legs in this case, when confronted with a powerful force beyond their control, they either try to befriend it with vile intentions or try to destroy it. I'll have you know that the latter usually happens._ " Kurama retorted.

" _Well, even if the world turns on me, at least I will have you forever furball. And no, I'm not proposing, stop using that joke, it's so bad._ "

" _Tch, it's funny and you know it. By the way, have you noticed that…elf? She seems to want to be more than just a friend you know? And if what she said is true, then you might be able to finally have a mate that can endure eternity with you._ "

Naruto paused when he heard what Kurama said, " _I'm not sure it's anything beyond friendship, if even that, but I do have a feeling about her. S_ he _has all of the qualities that I love in a woman:extremely beautiful, experienced, strong, independent, and if it's true - immortal. Still, despite Hinata passing almost 40 years ago, it feels just like yesterday. Although she was infertile, she was one that I loved with everything I had. If I had not promised to never use Gedo: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu on anybody that died by growing old, I would have brought her back in a heartbeat. Also, for some reason, I feel something has happened to her in the past that is currently preventing her from fully displaying her feelings, don't you?_ " Naruto responded sadly.

" _Hmmm, although you meat-bag's expressions all look similar to me, there does seem to be another story behind that one. But remember, while there may be others that could endure eternity alone, you are not one of them._ " Kurama muttered as he went to take a nap.

 _Three Days Later_

As Naruto trained in his Kamui dimension, he thought about the new improved version of his old jutsu he used on Durza, _Fuuton: Kaze Rasengan_. He thought back to when he trained to create his old signature moves, _Fuuton: Rasengan_ and _Fuuton: Rasenshuriken, "Back then, I was training in the wind element in order to incorporate it into the Rasengan to create my original move. However, this time, I created a Rasengan made completely of wind element chakra instead of just regular chakra. Despite only using it one time, I saw that the sword was not only sliced apart, but like what happens in my Rasenshuriken, was completely obliterated at at least at a molecular level, if not more. Hmmm…I wonder if I can apply this to other jutsu? Oi, Kurama, help me out here!_ "

" _Brat_ _, it would seem that the Namikaze genes are finally working, you're actually thinking!_ " Kurama said while wiping away fake tears. As Naruto was muttering about rabbit-ears, Kurama continued. " _Hmmm, that is a rather interesting concept actually. All shinobi start with regular chakra to power their jutsus. Take for example the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu. All it is is regular chakra that is kneaded and superheated inside of the stomach and only then converted to flames as it leaves the mouth. The start is just superheated regular chakra, not actual fire element chakra. The reason why nobody used pure fire element chakra in the beginning was probably because if you make a mistake, rather than just a mouthful of ash, you could cook yourself from the inside out._ " Kurama chuckled as he saw Naruto's face pale faster than he could inhale ramen.

" _However, you're in luck. First of all, you have me. Until you master such a thing, I can easily coat your body, on both the inside and outside, with dense chakra such that even if you make a mistake, you won't harm your body. Additionally, even if you get injured, remember that I can easily regenerate your injuries if your body's natural regeneration cannot keep up. On top of that, you can still use medical ninjutsu that you learned during the journey over here if absolutely needed._ " Kurama said proudly.

" _Then let's get to it. If I'm right, to reproduce their respective techniques, only a fraction of elemental chakra compared to regular chakra would be necessary; any more and the jutsu becomes far more destructive and effective. Imagine if the chakra that is initially superheated for the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu is already fire element chakra rather than just regular chakra?_ "

As Naruto was about to get to training this, he suddenly felt a pull towards a Hiraishin kunai.

" _Who did this? The battle is already won; just what kind of situation would do this_." Naruto thought as he exited the Kamui first and then teleported towards the thrown marker.

Murtagh slashed upwards with his sword as he sliced the throat of an Urgal as another one attempted to bisect him. As he parried the blow, he noticed an unnoticed Urgal that was stabbing towards Ajihad, leader of the Varden, from behind. As he cut the Urgal in front of him from top to bottom, he threw the knife at his side, intent on killing the Urgal behind Ajihad. What he forgot was that the knife was the kunai Naruto gave to him.

In a flash of yellow that startled those present, Naruto appeared and instantly took in the situation. As the Urgal kept on its stabbing motion, Naruto just gripped the offending arm and tore it away from its owner's body. He then jumped high and then threw several shuriken while muttering, " _Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ ". Instantly the thrown shuriken multiplied until hundreds flew out to impale all of the attacking Urgals.

As the last Urgal fell, Naruto immediately dispersed the jutsu and resealed the thrown shuriken. However, before asking how Ajihad was, Naruto stretched out his hands and said " _Bansho Ten'in_ " towards the Twins, grabbed each one by the throat, then shoved them towards the ground hard enough to knock them out. Just as Ajihad recovered from his shock, Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and Orik arrived.

"Naruto, why did you do that? While I trust that you did for a reason, I still need a good reason for you incapacitating two of our most powerful spell casters." Ajihad frowned at the blonde.

"Ajihad, this is another one of my abilities. I can feel negative emotions and if I focus enough, I can see where they are coming from. And if I really try, I can differentiate which feelings they are feeling. These two were feeling rage, malice, and hatred towards you and me just as I saved you." Naruto replied.

After a stunned silence, Arya walked up to the Twins, grabbed their heads and started to break through their mental barriers. As she did so, she saw the plot of killing Ajihad and retrieving Murtagh alive. But when she tried to trace the origin of the orders, she could not see anything past the fact that it came from someone in the Empire no matter how hard she ravaged their minds.

"Naruto is right. They were traitors that tried to have you killed and Murtagh taken alive while under the guise of an Urgal attack. However, I could not find out who did this other than that it was from the Empire." Arya said with disgust as she dropped the now vegetative Twins.

"I see. Thank you Naruto. I'm guessing the abilities that you used are related to what we saw in your memories?" Ajihad asked.

"Correct. Like I said before, we shinobi use an energy source called chakra. Unlike magic however, there is no real need to say anything. If anything, it is mostly a habit that we form while training the skill. Before you ask, you do not have to worry about someone else having similar skills. I know for a fact that the only chakra user in these lands due to a good friend of mine." Naruto said as he thought of Hagoromo Otsutski, but not before glancing at Arya before looking away.

Only Arya caught the gesture as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Well, once again, thank you for saving Murtagh and me. From this, I now know for a fact that Murtagh is indeed not Morzan. Murtagh, I am sorry for pinning the crimes of your father on you. It was dishonorable of me by doing so." Ajihad apologized as he nodded towards Murtagh. The man in question merely nodded back although they could all see that a heavy burden seemed to have lifted from his shoulders.

"Naruto, Arya, Eragon, Sapphira, and Orik. Prepare to leave for Du Weldenvarden. The queen of the elves, Islanzadí Dröttning, has caught news of you being alive and well Arya and has demanded that you and the Eragon leave immediately to further Eragon's training. You will leave in a week. Murtagh, I know that you would like to accompany Eragon, but it would be unwise for you to step into their forest. They still blame the Forsworn for much of their deaths and the elves are neither forgetful nor forgiving. Orik, you will leave with them as a representative of the dwarven people. Hrothgar has already approved of you leaving." Ajihad commanded as he turned and left towards his study in Tronjheim.

"Well Eragon, Sapphira, Arya, and Orik, it seems like we're finally going to Ellesméra. Ja ne." Naruto said as he shunshin'd towards his quarters.

Notes

Fuuton: Rasenshuriken – Wind Release: Spiralling Shuriken

Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu – Fire Release: Fireball Technique

Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu –Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu

Bansho Ten'in – Heavenly Attraction of all Creation, or Universal Pull

Du Weldenvarden – The Guarding Forest

Hello, I apologize if I'm incorrectly interpreting the process of creating the _Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu._ What my point is that regular chakra is the base of many of the jutsu used in the Naruto Universe. But what if that base is upgraded by a tier? Wouldn't the jutsu in that case become far more powerful if the same amount of nature element chakra is used compared to just regular chakra? That's sort of what I'm going for. Thank you for reading!

P.S. To **lolkid**. From your review, it sounds like you consider it "nutless" to being soft towards one of your last dying friends while enduring body tearing pain every day. If you can do that, I'm not sure if that is a good thing.


	12. Resurrection

Chapter 12

 _One Week Later_

Naruto looked at the surrounding mountains and forests as he waited for the rest of his party to arrive: Arya, Eragon, and Orik.

" _Kurama, we're about to head towards the home of the elves. If I remember correctly, Hagoromo Ji-san told us that a group of people left the Elemental Nations around 1000 years ago just as Kaguya was first sealed. From what I heard, the elves arrived in Alagaesia around 3000 years ago which agrees with the approximately 3x time displacement. I have not mentioned the fact before but in Arya, there is a thin chakra pathway that is still active but is actually leaking chakra into the surrounding flesh and bones with the greatest concentration of chakra being in their minds. I suspect this is why the elves are so much stronger than humans, both physically and mentally. Even in Eragon, he too has a chakra pathway, except this pathway is even thinner than Arya's, and for some reason concentrated in his mind and in his palm with the silver circle. So it would seem that Dragon Riders received chakra pathways from their dragons, because so far all of the regular humans have absolutely no chakra._ "

" _Interesting, it would seem that the first people who left the Elemental Nations had chakra, but had no knowledge of how to use it. So these elves either already spoke this ancient language or were introduced to it when they arrived on this land. Either way, when we get to their forest, you should attempt to learn how to use this magic if only to learn what it can do. Now unless there's something interesting, like a large battle or massacre, occurring, don't wake me up_." Kurama said as he started to snore.

Eragon flew with Saphira to where they were supposed to meet before leaving for Du Weldenvarden. He thought about what occurred this past week: the discussion about Naruto with Saphira, the dwarf feast with a drunk Saphira, the invitation to the Dr Vrangr Gata by Trianna the sorceress that Saphira drove away, and finally the decision to move the Varden to Surda.

" _Saphira, we're finally going to the forest of the elves to further our training. Just what do you think will happen? What if we are not accepted by them?_ "

" _Little One, most likely you will learn more about the ancient language and its complexities. They will probably also sharpen your swordsmanship to your limits. If the elves are anything like Arya, I do not think we will have to worry about them accepting us. If they do not, then we will show them what exactly a Dragon Rider and his Dragon can do when desperate. But also remember, you will have Naruto at your side and if half of the things you showed me is true, then we will have nothing worry about. From his memories, it is obvious how much he cares for his…precious ones to the point of sacrificing his own body and reputation._ "

" _I guess so, but where are the others?_ " Eragon questioned as they landed until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Yo." Naruto said as the pair almost attacked him until they saw who it was.

"Naruto, why do you keep doing this?" Eragon shouted while Saphira merely mused on how exactly did the blonde stand on her without her noticing.

"…Because it's fun and you're so easy to tease." Naruto cheekily replied as the pair just face faulted while crying anime tears.

" _One day, we'll get you!_ " Both the dragon rider and dragon thought.

"Oh, there's Arya and Orik. But why are they on those horse things?" Naruto mused.

"Hmmm, I wonder, maybe it's to get us to Ellesméra in a short amount of time?" Eragon said sarcastically as Arya and Orik joined them.

"Can't Saphira just carry us all there? Surely flying is faster than just riding on a horse."

"That is true…if she could carry us all at once." Eragon replied.

"I see…is that the only thing preventing her from flying us all there? Nothing like only allowing her Rider on her back or anything?" Naruto said while looking at Saphira.

After Saphira gave Eragon a certain look, he replied, "If she could carry us all there, she would. I believe she is just as impatient as all of us to get there."

"Alright then. Everyone, get on top of Saphira. I'll make us lighter so that Saphira will be able to fly us all there." Naruto said as everyone but Orik nodded and climbed on top of the dragon.

"You sure about this human? While it would be an honor to fly on Saphira, I don't want to drop from the sky merely because you could not keep us up. Besides, I like having my feet on the ground." Orik said suspiciously.

"I see your point. You don't trust me and you don't know my powers. That is understandable. But know that Ajihad and your King seems to trust me. As for your liking to have your feet on the ground…I can do something about that but you must promise to never speak about this unless I permit it." Naruto said seriously while looking into Orik's and everyone's eyes.

After several moments of Orik's hesitation, everyone nodded. "Very good. Once I do my…spell…you will see some surprising things. Do not worry, it is only another one of my techniques. Now, look into my eyes. _Kamui!_ " Naruto said as Orik swirled away from existence.

"What was that? Where did he go?" Arya and Eragon asked, although with less concern than curiosity.

"That is one of my jutsus, _Kamui_. With it, I can transport items and people into my own personal dimension." Naruto said. "Within it, I can perform to a lesser extent time manipulation in that dimension to the extent of slowing down time in that dimension up to 20x. So by the time we stop for the night, he would feel it was only an hour at most." Naruto said, while hiding the other abilities that _Kamui_ afforded him.

"Amazing. To think you could store living beings and transport them around with no one knowing. But the amount of energy to forcibly rip apart space and then maintain the inside to allow others to survive…must be beyond huge." Arya sighed.

"Alright, enough about me. Let's get going. Now Saphira, this may feel a little weird, but trust me on this. _Doton: Keijugan no Jutsu!_ " Naruto said while flashing through several hand signs and slapping his hand on Saphira's back.

Immediately, Saphira felt lighter than she has ever been, even when she only carried Eragon.

"What did you do Naruto? Saphira is going completely crazy about this and its applications?"

"I merely lightened the gravity of Saphira and our surroundings. With this, she should not feel any strain while flying us there. If anything she should go even faster than when she was only carrying you." Naruto replied before lying down on Saphira's back to take a nap.

Arya and Eragon just stared at the blonde snoring away as they wondered while flying towards their destination, " _Just how is he not slipping?_ "

When night fell, Saphira landed in a clearing while Arya, Eragon and Naruto dismounted to set up camp. Before doing so, Naruto brought Orik back into existence and watched as the dwarf landed on his ass and looked around wildly.

"What did you do? Why were there thousands of you? What was that landscape? Why is it dark?" Orik asked as he fired off questions.

"First, that was my personal dimension you were in. There were thousands of me because as they train, their memories become my memories, hence I don't need to personally train in certain areas. That landscape is just what my personal dimension looks like. I'm not sure why that is so, but I have my suspicions. As for the last question, it as has been nearly a whole day already. Time passes 20x slower in my dimension Orik, which is why it is already nighttime." Naruto answered as he walked away to set up his place to sleep.

Later on around a fire they created, Naruto asked Eragon about his journey, except this time in greater detail about Brom and his death by the Ra'zac than what Eragon told Ajihad back in his study.

"Eragon, did you love him?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Yes, of course, like a father." Eragon answered confusedly, wondering why the blonde was asking.

"Were you able to tell him that?" Naruto asked softly as the others looked at them.

"…No…" Eragon whispered as he looked away.

"Do you regret it? Not being able to tell him so?" Naruto asked with an odd look in his eyes.

"Of course I regret it! It is one of my greatest regrets, not being able to tell my father figure that I loved him, that I'm sorry for causing his death, that I'm sorry for not being powerful enough to protect him! Why are you asking this? Why are you picking at my wounds?" Eragon flared back at the blonde in anger and pain.

Naruto paused a moment before sighing, with his shoulders squared as if he made an important decision.

" _Kit, you sure about this? This could easily set the others away from you once you do this._ " Kurama asked worriedly.

" _I am sure about this Kurama. After first hearing his story in Ajihad's study, I've been thinking about this the whole time. Look at him Kurama. Doesn't he remind you of me? If you encountered so similar to you in a similar situation, you too would do everything you could to help guide him back to the right path._ " Naruto sighed in his thoughts.

" _Alright...I see where you are coming from so I won't interfere. But be prepared for what happens to you after you do this, even if it's only temporary._ " Kurama said as he went back to sleep.

"Eragon, if you could see him one last time, would you take it even if it only lasts a few minutes?"

The area immediately quieted as four pairs of eyes stared at him. In their minds they thought back to his amazing feats: annihilating hundreds of Urgals, destroying a 4000 man army, instantly teleporting, having a personal dimension, and manipulating gravity for hours on end. But speaking to the dead? This was something else entirely. This was one of the forbidden things in magic, to never raise or contact the deceased and that none have ever succeeded in doing so.

"Eragon…you remind me so much of myself. You've seen my memories. You saw what I had to endure, what I had to give up and accept. You've also seen the importance of closure. I can see within your eyes that flicker of hatred against yourself for not being powerful enough. I have seen the end results of such a path, and I will not allow you to walk it. Now tell me Eragon! Will you see him…one last time?" Naruto said as his voice grew stronger and stronger with each word.

" _Little One. No one knows more than me about how much pain you have been in regarding Brom. Despite you saying that you were over it, I know that you have not, and probably never will never forgive yourself. If you can be spared from such pain, then take this chance that he is offering. Do it, or you will forever regret it._ " Saphira said in their mental link as Eragon hesitated.

After a moment of silence, Eragon simply said, "Do it."

Naruto closed his eyes as he switched his eyes to the Rinne-Sharingan. "So be it."

Naruto created a shadow clone of himself, making the others twitch in surprise as he ordered the clone to lie down on his back. "Step back, close your eyes, and be ready to speak. I will only hold him here for 10 minutes, for those long dead have no place in the world of the living."

 _"_ _Gedo: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu!_ "

Suddenly, a demon like head with circular banded eyes and purple flames surrounding it emerged from the ground, cauing the others to shiver from its mere presence. A moment later, a blue light shining light emerged from its mouth and into the clone. After that, the head descended back into the ground, although not before Naruto dropped to the ground, panting with sweat running down his forehead.

Upon hearing the blonde dropping to the ground, they immediately opened their eyes and ran to help Naruto up. As they did, they witnessed the clone changing shape into a figure so familiar to Eragon and Saphira. Finally, it morphed into the figure Brom, complete with the clothing he died in and a silver circle on his palm. After a moment, he opened his eyes.

"Eragon, why are you here? Are you dead? No, this is the land of the living, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU FOOL?" Brom roared at Eragon after taking in his surroundings, concerned that the boy had used his life just to bring him back.

"Brom, wait! It was not me that brought you back, it was Naruto, the one behind you. And he said we only have 10 minutes to talk before you have to go back to the land of the dead." Eragon responded as Brom relaxed, knowing that Eragon wouldn't die for doing this.

"I see, well hurry up, we don't have much time. Speak!" Brom said in an irate manner, although all that could be seen in his eyes were concern and confusion.

"Brom…father, I wanted to call you that for so long." Eragon begun as Brom widened his eyes. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for getting you killed. If I was only strong enough, you wouldn't have needed to take the knife to save me. I'm sorry for not being powerful to heal you. I'm sorry for not fully appreciating what you have given me until you were gone. I'm sorry for being a burden. And I'm most sorry for never telling you that I love you as much as a son would a father!" Eragon said as he nearly shouted towards the end with tears running down his cheeks.

Brom's softened, finally understanding why Eragon called him here. "Eragon, you were never a burden, except well, in the beginning. Eragon, you did not get me killed, there was simply nothing that could have been done. If I had not jumped in front of you, the Ra'zac would have made sure to kill me anyways before escaping. And Eragon, everyone is weak in the beginning, including the elves. And know that stronger people than you could not have saved me from my wounds." Brom softly said as his form started to flicker and thin. "Ah, it would seem my time is nearly up. It is good to see you too Saphira. My, you have gotten big…just like my Saphira. Continue guarding him, as he will forever guard you. And know this Eragon…I too considered you as my son and if you are going where I think you are going, you will be in for a special surprise. Now go with my blessings, son. See you on the other side." Brom said as he left with a smile on his face.

"Brom…" Eragon whispered as he kneeled where he disappeared, except this time with an unyielding flame in his eyes.

Notes

Du Vrangr Gata – The Wandering Path

Doton: Keijugan no Jutsu – Earth Style: Lightened Boulder Jutsu

Dûrgrimst Ingeitum - Dwarf Clan under King Hrothgar: Metalworkers

Next up – Ellesméra!


	13. Du Weldenvarden

Chapter 13

After Eragon discovered closure in talking to Brom, Naruto was being held up by Arya and Orik. As they held him, they noticed that he was minutely trembling and sweating although he stopped panting.

"Barzul! What did you do? Was that really Brom?" Orik asked in a cautious tone, knowing that the human in front of him was immensely powerful. Arya just looked on with the same question in her eyes.

Naruto sighed as he sat back down on the ground. "Yes, that was Brom, at least it was his soul. The body he was in was merely temporarily created from my chakra. Although it looks real and is solid, on the inside, it is merely a hollow construct made of energy."

"Naruto, are you alright?" Arya asked in a concerned voice, unsettled at seeing the person that so easily defeated her looking so weak.

Naruto hesitated in telling the answer and just settled with merely a yes. Arya frowned, feeling like he was hiding something, but dropped subject knowing that she could not force answers out of him.

Eragon walked over to Naruto, knelt in front of him and said, "Naruto, I cannot thank you for everything you've done for me. You saved me and my friends, you saved me from the Shade, and now you have done something that I can never repay. You allowed me to speak with Brom for the last time and let me resolve with my past. Is there anything Saphira or I can do for you?"

Naruto merely smiled a fox smile and patted Eragon's shoulder. "Eragon, there is no need for you to kneel or offer to do anything for me. As I said, you remind me of my past self. However, I also know that you won't stop trying to repay your debt. So let me ask, if I asked you to teach me magic, or this ancient language, will you do it?"

Without almost any hesitation, Eragon responded. "Yes, however there will some words I cannot tell you due to them not being mine to tell."

Naruto merely nodded in acceptance. "Well then, everyone, let's go to sleep. We still have a long journey in front of us. See you in the morning, Ja ne." Naruto said as he shunshin'd away.

" _Kit, you alright? That was the first time you used that jutsu._ " Kurama asked in a worried tone.

" _I'm alright. But it would seem that there is indeed a price to raising a soul from the dead. While it won't kill me like it did Nagato, for a whole day, my regeneration and immortality seems to be almost completely suppressed to the level of a regular human on this continent. While I am still able to access chakra, it seems to have been slightly suppressed, although considering the amount I have, it's not much. My physical strength however seems to remain the same. Overall, I just need to be careful the day I use that jutsu._ "

" _As long you're alright. Remember, I am no longer your only tenant. You also have Kaguya within you._ "

" _I understand. Good night Kurama._ " Naruto said as sleep claimed him.

 _One Week Later_

As the group approached Ceris, an elven outpost, Eragon reviewed the past few days: speaking to Brom once again and finding closure, learning elven customs from Arya, teaching Naruto about the ancient language, and Naruto's first success in magic.

 _Flashback_

 _Naruto flung away the stone he had held for the past 2 hours away, hard enough for the stone to eventually be completely buried within the ground._

 _"_ _Come on Naruto, just a little longer, from what you told me, this should be easy for you. Just reach into your mind until you reach a barrier, and then break through it." Eragon patiently said, amused by Naruto's childish actions._

 _"_ _Hn, easy for you to say." Naruto pouted. "Anyways, perform that Stenr Reisa spell again."_

 _Eragon sighed as he again said, "Stenr Reisa!" Naruto watched the stone rise once again to eye level._

 _"_ _Kit, from what I've seen through your Rinne-Sharingan, every single time Eragon does a spell, he actually just barely cracks open The Gate of Opening, or the first of the Eight Gates." Kurama said with an arched eyebrow._

 _"_ _You serious? Are you saying whenever anybody does a spell, they're actually opening slightly opening the First Gate, or at least something similar?" Naruto asked._

 _"_ _While I'm not sure about other spell casters, Arya and Eragon both crack open the First Gate to use their magic. Other spell casters might just use some kind of equivalent to it or something. I'm not sure without seeing others, but that hardly matters. This could help you break through the First Gate of the eight and hopefully the others, Naruto!" Kurama said excitedly, knowing the frustration Naruto has been feeling for the past few weeks trying to open the First Gate._

 _After trying for another few hours and almost giving up, Naruto once again observed Eragon doing the spell when he suddenly felt a cracking sound resounding in his head. Naruto immediately assumed the meditation stance he learned on Mount Myoboku and focused himself on the source of the cracking sound. As he did, he came upon a large gate similar to the Rashomon Gates Orochimaru used. He observed that the gate was on the verge of opening, but just needed a little more force. As he grabbed ahold of the gates and pulled harder on the gate, the doors of the gate groaned as they slowly opened when suddenly the doors opened wide and flooded Naruto with the chakra that was held back by the gate._

 _Outside, Eragon wondered about the meditation pose Naruto was in when suddenly, he was flat on the ground, panting and sweating while struggling to just breathe. Orik was in the same position as him while Saphira and Arya were brought to their knees while also struggling to breathe, although not as severely as Eragon._

 _Their eyes immediately focused on the center of the pressure, Naruto. They saw as Naruto slowly stood up as the ground around him slowly cracked and then cratered. Naruto, noticing that his chakra from the First Gate was slowly crushing the environment, and friends, down from sheer pressure._

 _Naruto immediately closed, if regretfully, the gate and watched the group rise up as the pressure suddenly disappeared._

 _"_ _Kurama, was that what I thought it was?"_

 _"_ _Kit, that was merely the chakra that was released from the gate. That gate unlocked the limits of your physical body by unlocking the chakra held back by it. I think I know why you could not open the gates until now. Unlike Lee or Guy, you possess so much more chakra that your body had to create far stronger gates to hold back that chakra from tearing your body apart, at least when your body was still immature. Now however, your body is infinitely more powerful than before, so you can finally withstand the chakra levels from the first gate. The other gates should be easier to open, now that you know how to open them. However, you might need to wear chakra suppressing seals from now on, just so you won't accidentally kill the people around you. On the good side of things, this will train you and eventually result in an even denser chakra at the end and a body more used to more potent chakra such as Kaguya's."_

 _"_ _Well, at least there is that." Naruto thought as the others looked at Eragon and Naruto._

 _"_ _So, what was that?" Arya warily asked._

 _"_ _That…that was Naruto finally opening the barrier in his mind to magic." Eragon replied as he shakily stood up._

 _The others stared wide-eyed, again amazed at the power the blonde held._

 _Flashback End_

After another minute of flying, Arya pointed out where to land, which happened to be a small meadow between a river and the surrounding forest. After landing, Arya immediately jumped off of Saphira's back and walked to the center of the clearing and said in the Ancient Language, "Come forth, my brethren! You have nothing to fear. 'Tis I, Arya of Ellesméra. My companions are friends and allies; they mean us no harm."

They watched as two elves ran from the trees to embrace Arya while laughing and greeting in clear voices.

After the greetings, the two elves introduced themselves as Lifaen and Narí while Arya introduced the rest of the group, especially Eragon and Saphira and their intention on going to Ellesméra.

Both of the elves glanced at Naruto then Arya who then quickly said, "Him too."

 _Three Days Later_

The group and several other elves were walking amongst the trees that steadily grew thicker and older, with everyone but Naruto and Saphira riding on pure white elven steeds, when he arched a golden eyebrow at a particular tree, blinking as his eyes subtly gained a tinge of saffron.

"" _Just how did I almost...ah, I_ see." Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses, this time fully concentrating on his surroundings. " _Whoever he is, he has become so in tune with the forest_ _that despite his_ _high Jonin level reserves, I almost missed his_ presence." Opening his eyes, he blinked in astonishment at his findings. " _His energy signature even slightly resembles my own during my Sage Mode...impressive. I wonder if all elves are like this ?_ "

Not long after Naruto detected his presence, an ancient elf garbed in flowing robes of pure white with a circlet of gleaming silver resting upon his brow appeared seemingly out of nowhere, as if he were a wraith. Gazing into his eyes, Naruto felt as if Hagoromo was once again standing before him, not because of the elf's power, but rather because of the sheer wisdom that radiated from his old, old eyes.

"Gilderien-elda," Breaking off from the front of the group, Arya quickly dismounted from her steed to reverently greet the elf that perpetually guarded the borders of Du Weldenvarden ever since the time of the war against the dragons. As she bowed her head, the newly introduced Gilderien lightly smiled before directing his gaze towards Eragon. Seeing this, Arya gestured towards the hope of Alagaesia.

"Eragon," Arya murmured before stepping past the elder elf, "Show him your palm and your ring."

Baring his right hand, Eragon raised it so that first Brom's ring and then the gedwëy ignasia was visible. Closing his eyes, Gilderien shifted aside with his arms spread in a gesture of welcome, allowing both Eragon and Saphira to pass further into the leafy trees. Hesitantly, they did so. However, when everyone else had passed except for Naruto, the ancient elf once again stepped in front of him.

For a second, the two stared each other, curiosity gleaming in Gilderien's eyes as he attempted to probe Naruto's mind with his own.

Only to hastily step back when a roar with the fury of a thousand suns nearly blasted his mind to oblivion.

"Peace, Kurama." Naruto comforted his lifelong partner before angrily glaring at Gilderien, his chakra beginning to surge about within his body in response to his rage. Due to his nature, there were very few things in the world that could anger him, but trying to peer into his mind that he shared with Kurama, especially from a supposed ally, was one of them. In fact, it was only because he could sense that the ancient in front of him didn't have malevolent intentions, only curiosity, and that fighting him would instantly cause cracks in the elf-Varden alliance that he didn't try anything. Instead, clenching his fists, he quietly suppressed his and the Juubi's anger.

On the other side, a slight frown marred Gilderien's usually placid expression, obviously disturbed by the earth shattering amount of power and bloodlust contained within the foreigner's mind.

By now, Arya, Eragon, Saphira, and Orik had realized something was wrong and hurriedly retraced their steps back just in time to see Gilderien stumble backwards. Striding forwards, Arya hastily inserted herself between the two.

Glancing between the two, she demanded for an answer while tilting her head in respect towards her elder. "What happened, Gilderien-elda, Naruto?"

Relaxing his hands, Naruto eased his stance before shooting an empty smile towards her. "Nothing serious happened, other than he tried to pry into my mind." A sharp glint entered his eyes. "Is this how you greet your friends and allies?"

The small frown that marred her face made it clear to everyone that Arya was openly conflicted after finding out the reason behind the disturbance. On one hand was the man who helped save her and the Varden from destruction, and thereby deserved the hospitality of the elves. Yet on the other was Gilderien, the elf guardian who had guarded their borders for over a thousand years. Had Naruto been any other human, she would have just insisted for him to forfeit his mind for but a moment and continued on.

But he wasn't. And before she could make a decision, Gilderien gently brushed her aside while holding an open hand out. Staring at the outstretched hand, Naruto's eyes widened before a genuine grin bloomed on his face, much to the confusion of the others.

 _"To think he has even grasped the concept of ninshu_..." Stepping forward, Naruto mirrored Gilderien's stance, only with a fist instead of an open hand. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in amusement at Naruto's fist as he too clenched his hand into a fist before bumping it into Naruto's.

After being pushed to the side, Arya peered at the two in bemusement as they both closed their eyes, a thin layer of energy beginning to form around the point of contact. One second...two seconds...ten seconds...one minute...three minutes passed before Gilderien and Naruto opened their eyes at the same time before stepping back, a glint of respect and awe in both of their gazes. For Naruto, it was the first time he had met someone as ancient as Gilderien who was still amongst the living while for Gilderien - although he didn't see any of the blond's memories - he had felt how nature itself seemed to love the human in front of him. Combined with the fact he sensed absolutely no sign of hostility from either of them, only a righteous indignation of having their minds read against their wills despite the overwhelming power and majesty he sensed from the monster fox who had forced him out earlier, Gilderien made a decision.

With a smile, he gracefully bowed his head and gestured for both Arya and Naruto to continue into the heart of the wood before once again melting back into the forest he protected.

Not missing a beat, Naruto quickly passed the area where Gilderien once stood as he made his way to the rest of the group, only casting an amused glance over his shoulder when he saw Arya still frozen to where she was pushed.

"Hey Arya, why are you still standing there? We should try to get to Ellesméra before night falls. Hurry up!" Shamelessly, Naruto called out to Arya, completely disregarding the fact their journey was interrupted because of his little incident, before he waved at the group to continue on.

The corner of her eye twitched.

Notes

Elda - honorific of great praise, gender-neutral suffix attached with a hyphen

Thank you for reading my story. Since this is only my first story, I realize that there is much to improve. So please leave a review if you can. Thank you!


	14. Ellesmera

Chapter 14

After a quarter of a mile, Naruto's group came upon an empty glade that had faint paths running through it. As Naruto looked around, he subtly sensed the nature energy around him and was amazed at its concentration.

" _Amazing…the ambient natural energy here can rival half of Mount Myoboku's! Perhaps this is where the elves gained their physical and magical superiority of the other races, aside from their rudimentary chakra pathways. Considering Gilderien, perhaps the ambient nature chakra was absorbed into their bodies over the years and gradually strengthened them. Even if they aren't able to free manipulate it, it would give them an unrivaled advantage."_ As Naruto mused over this theory, he continued to slowly extend his senses over the entire city, sighing in wonder when he felt how in tune the forest and its inhabitants were with each other.

However, when he reached a little further, an enormous signature suddenly lit up in front of his." _Just what is that enormous nature chakra signature?_ "

Before he could further study the huge energy signature, many of the inhabitants of Ellesméra exited out of homes shaped from living trees that were shaped into houses. Such natural looking structures were eye-catching enough, but Naruto and Eragon could not help but stare at the surrounding elves as they revealed themselves, stunned by their almost unnaturally, in comparison, handsome and beautiful looks. Every single elf, whether it be male or female, had unblemished skin, sculpted features and fine hair that rippled down their backs in waves like molten silver, if silver was various colors. Thanks to Jiraiya's training, Naruto was able to tear his gaze away before it became rude, but poor Eragon couldn't help but keep staring.

As they made their way through the city and away from the other elves, Eragon finally managed to regain his bearings. Pointing towards the odd tree-houses, he asked, "How is that done?"

"We sing to the forest in the old tongue and give it our strength to grow in the shape that we desire. All our buildings and tools are made in that manner." Arya replied.

Bringing up the rear, Naruto felt if his eyes widened anymore, they might just pop out from his skull. " _So these elves even have a magic similar to the Mokuton. Oh boy, this is just getting better and better. Maybe they're long lost relatives of the Senju?"_ He mused as they reached the end of the path.

Finally, at the end of the path, they came upon a form steps woven from a cluster of roots that led up to a door that opened by itself as they approached. Upon entering, Naruto and the rest of the group looked around the hall to see twenty-four elf lords and ladies, twelve on each side of an ancient throne of knotted roots, upon which a female elf, garbed in royal red and wearing a golden crown rimmed with lustrous gems, regally sat on. By her left side stood a curved rod with a chased crosspiece, upon which perched a brilliant-white raven, seemingly asleep.

None of the group needed Arya to identify who she was, as only one amongst the many she had informed them of could possibly fit her description.

Queen Islanzadí, the legendary queen of the elves for the past half millennium and as beautiful as the morning sunrise and yet as regal as any king. When the group filed in, with Naruto leaning against the wall in the back while Saphira merely stuck her head in, the raven, who at first had its eyes shut, abruptly cocked its head at Eragon before shrieking out, " _Wyrda!_ ". Such an eerie screech caused Eragon to shiver in alarm, but when the raven cast its gaze towards Naruto, nothing came out of its beak. Instead, to everyone's surprise and shock, the eccentric and somewhat insane raven fluttered from its perch to Naruto's shoulder and leaned into his cheek, causing the blond to look amusedly at the raven before petting its head, which only caused the raven to burrow its snowy crown deeper.

Brushing aside her surprise, the queen stood up from her throne. The moment she did, the surrounding elf lords and ladies, Arya, Eragon, and Orik knelt with their heads bowed. Even Saphira from outside, who Naruto knew to be extremely prideful of her race's unsurpassed beauty and strength, also lowered her head towards the elven queen. Only Naruto continued continued to stand in the background, absently noting how the queen's facial features seemed oddly familiar. Slowly, Queen Islanzadí, seemingly not noticing him, merely moved to Arya, placed her hand on Arya's shoulder and said in a rich voice, "Rise." As Arya did so, the queen intensely studied her face as if trying to see into her very being before crying and embracing her.

"O my daughter, I have wronged you!"

The group that traveled to Ellesméra knelt, and in Naruto's case stood, in shocked silence, trying to digest the fact that Arya was the elven princess.

" _Oh, this is good, hahaha. You always did have a habit of saving princesses, but this is too much! Even in another nation, you still somehow run into the only elven princess there is._ _Maybe she'll even fall for you too like all the others!_ _Hahaha, that perverted toad would be so proud of you!_ " Kurama rumbled with laughter as Naruto just stood there with a tick mark on his face.

" _Oi, shut it furball, or else I'm coming in there to tie your tails into knots!_ "

While Naruto was bantering with his tenant, Queen Islanzadí reconciled with her daughter when the white raven on Naruto's shoulder started cackling.

 _And on the door was graven evermore._

 _What now became the family lore._

 _Let us never do but to adore!_

"Enough of your incessant riddles, Blagden!" Swiftly berating the insolent bird, Queen Islanzadí turned to Eragon and Saphira and apologized for her behavior. Eragon merely smiled and greeted as Arya taught him. " _Islanzadí Dröttning. Atra esterní ono thelduin._ " He had no doubt that he was supposed to speak first.

Islanzadí's dark eyes widened. " _Atra du evarínya ono varda._ "

" _Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr_ ," replied Eragon, completing the ritual.

Naruto waited as the introductions between the elves, dragon rider, and dwarf were going on while stroking the white raven's head as he turned towards Arya, who had come to his side after her mother began to speak with Eragon. "So Arya, you're a princess? Huh, didn't peg you for one."

"It is a fact I try to keep hidden. An ambassador of the elves has no need for it." Arya lightly confirmed while absently touching the area above her armored left shoulder.

"I see." Glancing at the area she had touched, Naruto realized it be where he had seen an oddly shaped indigo tattoo when she was being escorted to the Varden. He didn't say anymore, sensing that there was more to the story and that now...was not the best time to satisfy his curiosity.

Having greeted the others, Queen Islanzadí finally turned towards Naruto and with a frown, confusion and wariness clear in her eyes. At that instant, the attention of the entire hall fell upon his shoulders. "You must forgive my discourtesy, Naruto Uzumaki. To you, who has played a large role in both aiding my daughter," she paused, savoring the word she hadn't had the opportunity to say for over half a century, "and protecting the Varden from certain destruction, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude." As she slightly tilting her head down towards him, Naruto heard a quick, near nonexistent, gasp of air beside him before it disappeared. Peering from the corner of his eyes, all he saw was Arya, as beautiful and impassive as always.

But years of being a shinobi and Hokage of such shinobi had granted him a keen eye. Beneath that placid lake of emerald was an undercurrent of shock and at her mother's action. She knew how proud she could be, and it touched her heart to know Islanzadí had bowed her proud head for her. Upon seeing this, the corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up before he too, mirrored Eragon's actions. Touching his own lips, he too, inclined his head before speaking softly.

" _Islanzadí Dröttning, a_ _tra esterní ono thelduin._ "

Surprise radiated from the elven queen. While it was not unusual, even expected, for Eragon to know and speak the traditional greetings of the elves, she didn't expect for someone like Naruto to also do so. And for him to speak the ancient language so well! He even spoke the words better than Eragon, who had no doubt practiced them many, many times. The only flaw she could detect was a slight and unique accent she had never heard before intertwined within his words. Curiously gazing at Naruto, she completed her part of the greeting.

" _Atra du evarínya ono varda._ "

" _Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr,_ " he finished. The hushed whispers that had once swept the room while their queen spoke with Eragon and Arya once again gained steam as they glanced at the foreigner who also projected an aura of authority like their queen, Islanzadí. With his emotion sensor, the primary emotion Naruto felt from most, if not all the elves, was caution and mild curiosity. Despite all of his seals, the sensitive immortals could no doubt sense the sheer power hiding within his body. Not far from him, he could also feel Arya's shock, no doubt due to how badly he spoke the words just yesterday during practice. Perhaps she even thought he was simply pretending to butcher the greeting.

That wasn't true. He indeed was terrible at the language. All he could say was...

...all hail the shadow clones.

With a much friendlier tone, Queen Islanzadí instinctively continued to speak in the ancient language, only pausing when she noticed the vacant look in Naruto's eyes, realizing that despite his near perfect enunciation he hadn't understood a word she said. An awkward silence pervaded the room before Naruto sheepishly chuckled while rubbing the back of his head.

"Hahaha, my apologies Queen Islanzadí, but my understanding of the ancient language is limited to your greeting as well as a few spells. If you don't believe me," said Naruto before pointing his thumb towards the elf beside him, "you can just ask Arya."

Turning towards Arya, Islanzadí switched back to"Is this true, my daughter? Surely someone who can speak the ancient language so fluently and well cannot have such a shallow understanding as he says."

Contrary to her expectations, Arya immediately confirmed the blond's words. "Yes, other than a few minor spells, Naruto is a complete beginner to our language. In fact, just yesterday, his pronunciation was far worse than Eragon's."

More whispers rushed through the room at her words. Had it been an elf in question, nobody would have found it unusual. But for someone just beginning to learn their language, it was impressive to say the least. Realizing they were getting off topic, Islanzadí quickly diverted the conversation back on course.

"While I thank you for saving my daughter and the resistance, I have to wonder, who are you stranger? Other than your name, appearance and a cursory list of your powers, my daughter has not reported anything else. For centuries, we elves have walked the earth and, although we have isolated ourselves from the matters of mortals, your name does not have roots in any race we know of."

While Queen Islanzadí had not personally seen or even heard from her daughter, other than a meager handful of moments, for the past half century, she knew two things of her personality. One, that Arya would never rest until she at least knew the general background of an anomaly as powerful as Naruto, especially when said anomaly saved her life. And two, no matter the differences between them, she was loyal to her kind to a fault and would never hide information of a potential threat. So either, Arya truly found the man in front of her as no threat, or...

...she was forced into silence. And if it was the latter... Islanzadí's eyes narrowed as suspicion, so easy to succumb to these days, began to cloud her earlier gratitude. Soon, the tension in the air thickened to the point where Naruto swore he could cut through it with a kunai. Fortunately, her question was not one he was particularly secretive about.

It's not as if anyone in Alagaesia was capable breaking through the barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations.

Before relaying the same answer he told leaders of the Varden, Naruto shot a small, but grateful look and nod to his left, slightly surprised that Arya hadn't mentioned his origins. From what Eragon had taught him about the ancient language, any serious oath Arya, or any elf in Alagaesia, made would be done in that language due to its binding properties. Yet, for her to keep her word despite her status of ambassador and only swearing in the common language , it spoke volumes of her character.

Upon hearing the blond's words and then his theory of the elves' origins, disbelief could be seen in Queen Islanzadí's and her council's eyes as she slowly strode back to her throne. Once again regaining her seat, a small frown appeared, not entirely believing him as was her nature.

While she contemplated his words, a male elven lord with hair black as night steadily stood up. Tilting his head down, "Naruto-finiarel, like my queen, I Däthedr, lord of Sílthrim, want to thank you for saving our princess, Arya Svit-kona. But I must ask," dark hazel orbs flashed, "why should we trust you when you did not let Gilderien-elda into your mind?"

On the side, Arya also looked curiously at Naruto. Despite passing through the borders of the elven forest for decades, never had she seen the ancient elder deign to touch anyone, never mind touch fists with a human for over a minute. However, she sighed in disappointment at Naruto's cryptic answer.

"There are other ways to communicate than mere words and minds, Lord Däthedr. And I can assure you, if you ask Gilderien-san, he will speak on behalf of me."

Staring into the elven lord's discerning gaze, the corner of Naruto's eyes twitched when he felt the lightest of presences skirt along the perimeter of his mind. This time, however, he made sure to shroud Kurama's presence and increase his mental defenses as he would against a Yamanaka. The only thing Däthedr could feel from the stranger before him was an impenetrable wall of some sort of energy, but most of all the unshakeable conviction and confidence emanating behind that barrier. And while slightly dissatisfied he couldn't further observe the fascinating blond's mind, he knew it would be rude and foolish of him to do so, if Gilderien himself dared do so.

Shutting his dark eyes, Däthedr mirrored his queen as he gracefully sat down. "No need. While I am obviously not as old as Gilderien-elda, we are friends. Nothing could have forced their way into our home with him guarding its borders, only death could. And should such a thing have happened, the entire Du Weldenvarden would have wept for our loss."

Dusting away the nonexistent dust from her magnificent robes, Islanzadí strode towards her daughter's side and declared, "Naruto-finiarel has convinced me of his benign intentions and will thus may stay here in Ellesméra," she glanced about the room before settling down on Naruto and Arya. "It would be a shame for someone so gifted in the ancient language to come to an end here. And so I have decided, my daughter shall see to your instruction of the words and its intricacies."

"Now, our guests wait tired on their feet, and we have spoken of evil things for far too long. I will not have this occasion marred by lingering on past injuries." And then as she suddenly brightly smiled continued, "My daughter has returned, a dragon and her Rider have appeared, and I will see us celebrate in the proper fashion! Blagden!" She indicated for the white raven to come back, which he did although with extreme reluctance that was visible to all.

"Now what Arya?" Naruto asked.

"That is an indication of the incoming festivities for the return of her daughter, and the return of the dragon riders...as well as the return of our distant brethren." Arya responded.

"Sounds like fun. Wonder if they have ramen?" Naruto said as they watched, with Orik, Eragon, and Saphira, a team of elves prepare the feast from setting up the table and preparing the food.

Notes

Mokuton – Wood Release

Atra esterní ono thelduin- Let good fortune rule over you

Atra du evarínya ono varda – Let the stars watch over you

Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr – Peace live in your heart

Finiarel - an honorific suffix for a young man of great promise, attached with a hyphen.

Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya – May we be warded from listeners


	15. Another Dragon Rider

Chapter 15

As it turned out, they did not have ramen…or noodles…or even any meat, which resulted in Naruto crying many anime tears during that feast.

"Naruto, stop that weird crying. When you cry, you are insulting the food as well as the elves that have made it." Arya said.

"But Arya, they don't have meat or even ramen, the food of the gods!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What is ramen anyways? It doesn't sound that appetizing anyways." Eragon said before gulping when he saw a sudden gleam going through Naruto's eyes.

"Hehehe…you not knowing what ramen is is one thing. But insulting it? I see I will have to…reeducate you. Now let's see, where to begin. First, ramen is Kami's gift to all living things! It was brought down from the heavens to light the way…" Naruto started to preach...after he clapped his hands tightly onto Eragon's shoulders so that he could not run away.

 _One Hour Later_

Everybody at the feast had their eyes rolled to the back of their heads as Naruto kept a constant stream of brainwashing phrases.

"…and when ramen first entered the world, the masses cried out in joy…" Naruto said as Saphira finally roared out with her mind.

" _Enough! Stop torturing my rider with your brainwashing. If you want to convince somebody, prove it!_ "

"Oh, there was that route, but I only have a limited amount…even if it is in the hundreds of thousands. But with no sacrifice, there can be no victory. Saphira! You shall be the first to be converted! Now taste the food of the gods!" Naruto declared as he unsealed and threw a steaming bowl of Ichiraku's ramen into Saphira's maw, the recipe Ayame finally told him as her last present on her deathbed.

As Saphira closed her jaws in surprise, she suddenly tasted the salty and porky goodness that featured the perfect blend of crunchiness from the al dente noodles, the slightly chewiness of the pork that exploded with flavor, the squishiness of the fishcake, and finally the broth that embodied the best of them all. Her eyes bulging as they turned from sapphire blue to red, she quickly turned to her rider as she panted, " _Forgive me, I was wrong! Eragon, you must try this!_ "

The elves looked in horror at the interaction between the revered dragon and the human blonde before Queen Islanzadí announced that the feast was over. She then said to the dragon rider and dragon, "It is late, I am tired, and I would return to my bower. Accompany me, Saphira and Eragon, and I will show you where you may sleep tonight."

As the queen led the group away from the festivities, Naruto asked, "So where are the rest of us going to sleep? Although I could just grow a house here. In fact, I think I will do just that."

"Even with your powers, not even you could create life. Not even us elves that are so in tune with nature would be able to create life, we only help shape the life that is already there…" Queen Islanzadí started until she stared wide-eyed as Naruto made a hand-seal and said, " _Mokuton: Shichuka no Jutsu!_ "

Queen Islanzadí stood there in shocked silence before regaining her bearings and said, "We will meet in the morning where Eragon will continue his training while you shall begin yours with Arya."

"Well, I guess see you in the morning, Arya." Naruto said as he disappeared into his newly created house.

Next morning, the entire group walked to the edge of Ellesméra where they met Queen Islanzadí. Once they gathered Queen Islanzadí said in a serious voice, "Before we go any farther, the four of you must swear in the ancient language that you will never speak to outsiders of what you are about to see, not without permission from me, my daughter, or whoever may succeed us to the throne."

Naruto waited as the Eragon, Saphira, and Orik at first tried to find fault with the command, but eventually could not the elf queen's logic and caution. After doing so, Queen Islanzadí turned to the blonde. "I know that I cannot force you, but I please, do not reveal this to anyone. Promise me you won't."

Naruto looked into Queen Islanzadí's eyes and saw no deception within her gaze. "While I will not swear in the ancient language, I will promise you that I will not reveal what I will see to anyone unless you or Arya tells me to. And I never break my promises."

Satisfied with the answer, Queen Islanzadí nodded and led the group towards a cliff a thousand feet tall and that stretched for miles. As Naruto drew in a small amount of nature chakra, he suddenly sensed a similar presence to Eragon and Saphira, only far stronger. " _Ho, to think that the elves have hidden such a secret from the rest of their world. How interesting. But how come one of the presences seems…broken?_ "

Just as Naruto finished his thought, several heavy thuds resounded through the air and ground. Eragon plugged his ears while Saphira raised a wing towards her's. As they did, they witnessed a giant gold dragon emerge from on top of the cliff with a rider on its back.

Several moments passed as Eragon and Saphira fell to their knees with a thud in reverence and relief, knowing that they were not the last of their kind and that there was finally someone to guide them. As the self-introduced elf, Oromis, flew to the ground and greeted Eragon, Queen Islanzadí heatedly said to the elven rider, "You knew… You knew of Eragon's existence and yet you did not tell me? Why have you betrayed me, Shur'tugal? I could have sent riders and scouts to bring them and Arya back home to me! I could have done so much more!"

Oromis listened to his queen's outburst and merely sighed, "You have betrayed yourself Islanzadí Dröttning. If you had performed your duties instead of withdrawing from the world out of depression, you would have noticed Eragon and Arya far sooner, even before the Battle of Farthen Dûr. You have only yourself to blame. And besides, I knew that nothing would happen to them, especially when someone as powerful as the man beside you was with them and protecting them the entire time."

Naruto stood to the side as he listened to the conversation between his group and the ancient dragon rider. As Orik started asking where the elven rider was this entire time, Naruto intervened.

"Orik, from what I sense, both Oromis's and his dragon's bodies are somehow broken. While for the dragon, it is only a physical condition, for Oromis, his body is currently, and only barely, held together by a multitude of seals, or spells as you know it as. Even if he were to fight, he would only be a burden: at most an unstable weapon that could break at any time during the battle. And if he died before the next rider was chosen, then all knowledge that had to be passed down would have been lost forever to the world." Naruto paused as Orik digested this new information while Oromis looked slightly ashamed that he could have done more for the Varden or for the elves.

"Oromis! As I said before, your body is broken, your magic unstable, and your dragon crippled. Currently, you are of no use other than being a sensei to Eragon here, although I am sure that you are a great one. However, if you and your dragon could be healed, what would you do?" Naruto questioned, wanting to know the answer while looking into the other rider's eyes.

Oromis thought for a moment before answering with clear eyes. "If my partner and I could ever be healed…we would still teach everything to Eragon, holding nothing back, and ride out for the sake of liberating Alagaesia from Galbatorix's rule."

Naruto looked into his eyes, looking for any hint of insincerity and trickery. Finding none, he said to everyone. "Swear…swear in your ancient language to never reveal what will happen here unless I, and only I, allow it. I will heal you Oromis, but never forget this debt and repay it by helping Eragon here and fighting alongside him."

Everyone looked at each other before nodding and swearing in the ancient language. Once they did so, Naruto slowly walked up to the rider and his dragon.

"What is your dragon's name?"

Before Oromis could answer, a rumble echoed in Naruto's mind as a majestic voice said, " _Glaedr is what you may call me, hatchling. Should you show the slightest intention of harming my rider or me, I will tear you to shreds._ "

Naruto merely nodded, discarding the threat as there was no ill intention behind it. As he did so, he placed his right hand that had an outline of a sun on top of Glaedr's stump. Naruto sighed as he pumped chakra into his right palm and through the sun outline. As he did so, the crippled leg started glowing, blinding everyone with a golden light. As the light faded, everyone simply stared in wonder as what was once empty space was once again filled with a golden muscular leg covered in near impenetrable scales.

Glaedr lifted up his leg in wonder, feeling no problems or weaknesses with the leg. It was as if his leg was always there, and was merely missing from sight. Gently tapping his foot against ground, the golden dragon proceeded to progressively stomp harder and harder until a crater was formed. Oromis trembled with excitement and joy as the air and his mental link between them flooded with the dragon's roars of exultation and happiness. He then looked at Naruto, trembling at the thought that he might just be healed after all this time and not have to endure the crippling pains that came and went.

"Now, Oromis, I believe it is your turn." Naruto said as his palm lit up with a green glow. "Stay still, and let me see what exactly is wrong with you."

Oromis complied with the order and waited as Naruto swept his hand from head to toe. As he did so, he saw Naruto's eyes light up with comprehension. "Do you understand what is wrong with me? All of the best healers of Ellesméra could not find anything wrong with me. Not even I could find anything wrong."

"Well, there is both good and bad news. The bad news is that what I am about to do will hurt…and far more than you have ever known. It will be as your body and mind are trying to tear themselves apart. The good news is that I know what is wrong. It also confirms my suspicions that you elves did indeed come from where I came from, the Elemental Nations. The chakra pathways between your eight gates have been completely severed. Plus, your first gate that is located in the mind and is the source of your magic has been almost completely mangled. I'm guessing that any magic that you have done is merely because your gate has not been completely destroyed." Naruto diagnosed.

Oromis stood still, absorbing the information that Naruto said. "But you said you could still heal me, correct? I will bear any amount of pain if that is what it takes. Glaedr will also help me shoulder the pain." Oromis said with a firm tone while Glaedr too nodded at his words.

"So be it. Now, try not to scream." Naruto said as he once again pumped chakra into his palm.

The clearing was lit up with Oromis's screams and Glaedr's roars of pain as his chakra pathways were being rapidly mended and the connection between his first gate and the rest of his body were being reconnected. His pathways were then rapidly expanded to what they should have been by the sheer amount of chakra Naruto was pumping while being destroyed from the over-expansion and then re-healed by his chakra. The process went on for an hour until Naruto finally dropped his palm away from the elven rider as said rider laid on the ground with his dragon, both panting and sweating from the pain.

Oromis shakily stood up and analyzed his body, hoping beyond hope that he was finally healed. When he felt nothing wrong, he muttered, "Stenr reisa." Boulders started floating around him and as he held them there for a long time and after feeling no pain, he trembled while saying, "I am healed…I am really healed. Thank you Naruto, you have given Glaedr and I a light called hope and I will repay this by making Eragon as strong as he can be."

Queen Islanzadí trembled, seeing their secret and pride fully healed, and all because of the blonde that her daughter was interested in. All that she could think of as she watched the celebration that spread amongst the group was, " _Naruto, just what are you and what will you do with Alagaesia?_ "

Notes:

Mokuton: Shichuka no Jutsu – Wood Style: Four Pillar House Jutsu

Shur'tugal – Dragon Rider in elvish

When I mention group, I mean Eragon, Saphira, Orik, Arya, and Naruto.


	16. Menoa Tree

Chapter 16

The day that Naruto healed both Oromis and Glaedr passed quickly. Eragon and Saphira flew away with the elder dragon rider pair to begin their training immediately while the rest of the group returned to Ellesméra, where Queen Islanzadí once again threw another feast at the recovery of their own dragon rider.

The day after the feast, Naruto went to Arya for his magic training after sensing out where she was. Walking through the city, Naruto admired the way these elves lived together with nature. It reminded him of his time at Mount Myoboku where he lived with toads.

" _But still, what exactly is that enormous nature chakra signature? I will have to ask Arya about this when we meet._ "

" _Hehehe, kit. I'm glad that you are finally getting over that Hyuuga after all these years. I know that you are currently only friends, but she is your best shot at happiness. And do not worry, remember your mate's last words._ "

Naruto smiled sadly as he remembered how shocked he was at his Hinata's last words.

 _Flashback_

 _An older looking Naruto sat beside and held the hand of an aged yet still beautiful Hinata that laid in bed with her eyes closed. Naruto knew that his Hinata would not last the night and that this would be the last time he would ever see her alive. Just then, Hinata opened her eyes and looked over to Naruto._

" _Naruto-kun, you do not need to hide yourself behind Tsunade-sama's henge to appear older than you really are, ya know." Hinata said while smiling, borrowing one of Naruto's signature verbal tics._

 _Naruto sat there, startled that Hinata knew about the henge that he had Sakura set up for him. He sighed as he dropped the henge to instantly look as young as he did when he had married Hinata._

 _"How long?" Naruto asked, knowing that he did not need to clarify anything._

 _"Naruto-kun, while you may have been able to fool even Saskue's eyes, remember that I still have my Byakugan and can see that your chakra pathways have remained undiminished even after all these years. It was simple to deduce that you wore a henge that hid your true appearance so that you would not make me bad about it." Hinata said gently as Naruto sat there._

 _"Naruto-kun, I know that I will not live beyond tonight and I have something to tell you. Despite you saying that I should not feel this way, I still feel guilty that I was not able to bear you any children and it is one of my greatest regrets for not being able to do so. Naruto-kun, from what I have seen, you will still live for a great many years and I do not want to become a barrier to your happiness. So know that should you feel love again, then if not for yourself then for me, do not make me the reason for not pursuing it. Promise me Naruto-kun…promise me." Hinata begged, knowing that if he promised her this, should could pass on without any regrets, since after all, her husband has never broken a promise._

 _Feeling his wife's life fade, Naruto said with as bright of a smile as he could, "Hinata…I promise. I promise that I will not use you as an excuse to not love. But I also promise that no matter what, you will always be my first wife. Know this as you move onto the Pure World."_

 _Hinata merely smiled, looked at her beloved's face one last time as if trying to burn the memory even until the afterlife, and closed her pale lavender eyes. "Naruto-kun…I love you!"_

 _Naruto spent the rest of that night crying over her body, his sorrow washing over the rest of Konoha._

 _Flashback End_

" _Tch, she's still only a friend. But t_ _hank you Kurama. Despite our…rough beginning, I consider you my closest and the best friend in my life."_

 _"Alright kit, enough of this mushy stuff, I'm about to vomit a Bijuudama in your mindscape, and that won't be pretty. Now, get over to your future mate and start learning that magic."_ Kurama snickered as Naruto pouted.

Naruto followed Arya's energy signature and found himself in front of the hall where they met the elf lords and queen. Now that he thought about it, it did make sense for the princess to live in the castle. Noticing that Arya was not coming out, Naruto inhaled deeply and shouted, "YO ARYA, COME OUT AND TRAIN ME!"

The shout resounded throughout the entire city with many of the elves looking dumbfounded in the blonde's direction. In a flash, a black blur with a lining of green flashed out of the doors, grabbed the blonde's ear and disappeared into the distance.

When Arya stopped, she dropped Naruto in the middle of a clearing, pulled out her sword and immediately swung it in his direction. Naruto dodged until Arya had stopped, panting as the clearing around them turned from a serene and beautiful area into a place full of slash marks and burn marks from fired spells.

"Naruto! Just stand still and let me hit you!" Arya commanded the blonde, desperate to regain some of her honor back after being embarrassed by the him.

"Heck no, you're trying to kill me with that sword and magic. I only shouted at you so that we could begin my magic training! Although I have a question that I must ask." Naruto retorted.

Arya stopped trying to…discipline the blonde and stood there before nodding and waiting for Naruto to ask his question.

"Arya, what is that massive nature chakra just a little bit away from Ellesméra? It feels like a tree, but with another elven chakra signature within it. Just what is it?" Naruto asked.

Arya arched an eyebrow at the blonde, fascinated that he was able to sense something off with the tree. Arya then told Naruto the story behind the Menoa Tree, about how a middle-aged elf maiden named Linnëa found love with a young man that happened to meet her. The two were happy until the man desired a woman closer to his age and eventually wooed another, younger elf maiden and was for a time, happy with her. That was until Linnëa discovered her lover's cheating and in a rage killed both the man and his lover. Overcome with shame, Linnëa sang herself into a tree, abandoning her race, and has been there ever since.

Naruto listened with astonishment at the elf's ability to sing herself into a tree and fuse with it. It reminded him of the twins of the Sound Four, Sakon and Ukon, who were able to fuse with each other and other people due to their bloodline. But as he listened to the rest of the story, he came to pity the elf maiden. He found it wrong that Linnëa felt compelled to abandon her race merely because her own lover was the one that cheated on her.

"Arya, could you take me to the Menoa Tree? When I sensed it, I felt a deep regret, shame, and rage from the tree and now knowing the story, I feel like I can at least calm those feelings. We can start the magic training tomorrow. Also, I have a present for you that I will give you tomorrow as well."

Arya wondered what present he was talking about but just nodded and led him to a giant tree that was thicker than a hundred of the smaller trees of the forest.

As Naruto walked up to the tree, he grew more amazed at the sheer power in the tree.

" _Kami, this Menoa Tree feels about as powerful as Shukaku!"_ Naruto thought as he placed his palm on the tree while entering Sage Mode Level 2, making circular marks appear on his face while a circular mark that resembled the rinnegan appeared in the middle of his forehead.

Instantly a wave of nature chakra spread throughout the forest, turning all heads in the direction of the source. When they noticed where the source was, they immediately hurried towards it, worried that harm would befall the Menoa Tree.

Naruto ignored everything that was happening outside and instead concentrated in making contact with the spirit of the tree. Soon after he felt the mindscape of another and immediately entered it. As he entered it, it felt more than saw the memories of Linnëa from when she fell in love with the man, to the betrayal she felt, and then finally the thousand years she spent in the tree, witnessing the growth and death of the plants and animals that inhabited the area around her. After witnessing the memories, he finally saw an elfin silhouette with its back towards him while knee-deep in water within a maze-like sewer not unlike his own before he was able to control his very mindscape.

As he approached the elf from behind, a sudden force stopped him. Looking below him, he saw countless tree roots that bound his feet, preventing him proceeding forwards.

"Who are you to come into my mind?" Linnëa, the Menoa Tree asked as outside, roots started spreading over Naruto's body.

"My name is Naruto and I have come after hearing your story and sensing the regret, shame and rage that you carried in your aura."

"I see, but I ask, why have you come? Why should I not just kill you now for trespassing into my mind?" Linnëa said as she started constricting the blonde.

"Because first," Naruto began before shattering the roots from his legs in the mindscape and displaying his power. "You cannot bind or hurt me for I am beyond even you. And second, I am a sage and I wish to help you. I can purify the nature chakra through me before flowing it back towards you, effectively taking in your negative feelings which could possibly have you stop hating yourself."

Linnëa cautiously retreated, feeling more than enough power to end her existence, and far more power than she had felt from any living being within the forest or even that upstart of a human, Galbatorix.

"Nobody would simply help me for nothing. What do you want in return?"

"Is it too much to think that I am not doing this to gain anything? When I heard your story, I found myself pitying you and felt that that man you fell in love with did not deserve your feelings. But know this, I would not have decided to help you if that was it. No, I want to help you because I feel that you should not feel hatred towards yourself. You have done nothing wrong. With you being an elf, a race that mostly hides their deepest feelings, to be betrayed by your lover must have felt as if your very world collapsed. And when you finally noticed what you had done, you must have thought you had done something wrong for such a betrayal and thus wanted to to actually wash away your shame by hiding away from the rest of the world. You are someone that does not deserve the torture that you have imposed on yourself for many years. Well, that's basically why I want to help you, ya know?" Naruto said with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of his head.

Linnëa simply looked at the blonde, trying to discern any hint of trickery or malicious intent. But instead, she was confronted by a near pure aura that hid nothing and only showed his desire to help her. Suddenly, she felt a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. Warmth. This was the first time she felt genuine warmth in over a thousand years. As she contemplated on the feeling, she slowly walked towards the blonde.

"Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki, you intrigue me. For one not an elf, you have shown far more compassion than even my little brothers and sisters have shown me over the years. I accept your…proposal. However, I must do something in return." Linnëa raised her hand as she saw the blonde begin to protest. "Let me finish. It is our pride to never owe another, otherwise such a debt might eat us away from the inside. This is all the more true with me, now that I have fused with the Menoa Tree. I can feel that your current desire, other than helping me, is to protect your precious ones, especially Eragon and Arya, and free this land from Galbatorix. As such, should Eragon, Arya, or Islanzadí ever be at the edge of death, I will send the energy needed to fixate their souls to their body, long enough for their bodies to be healed enough such that they will not need me. However, I must warn you, I can also feel that the sword that this Eragon currently holds does not fit him. Rather, the sword feels as if it is rejecting him and will let him down when he needs it most. As such, should he ever ask of it from me, I will help him should he pass my test, with the reward being the brightsteel underneath my roots. However…as for you…I give you my blessing."

As Linnëa said said her last sentence, she leaned up and kissed Naruto on his forehead. "I can see that you already have a profound grasp on nature itself and can control and even create trees. However, my blessing will allow you to control far more than just trees. You will be able to control and manipulate all plant life as well as further your control over trees to the point as if they were your very limbs. Now go, Hero of the 4th Shinobi War and fulfill your promise!" Linnëa said as she gently pushed Naruto out of her mind.

Notes

Henge – Transformation

Shukaku – The One-Tail Bijuu


	17. The Beginning of Something Beautiful

Chapter 17

As Naruto's consciousness returned to his body, he felt a presence sitting by his side. As he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see an unusual worried look on Arya's normally impassive face as her emerald green eyes that put to shame the green of the forest stared right into his sky blue eyes.

"Are you alright, Naruto? Did the Menoa Tree harm you?" Arya softly asked.

"I am fine Arya. I was merely talking to the spirit of Linnëa that was within the Menoa Tree. I offered to purify the negative feelings in the nature chakra that ran through her and in return she promised several things. To be honest, she did not need to give me anything, as I would have done it anyways." Naruto said as stood up to leave, but not before leaving a clone to purify the nature chakra of the Menoa Tree.

"Naruto, just why do you do this? For someone far more powerful than anyone I have ever known, you do not abuse your powers. I know that you, like us, are far older than what you appear to be and has thus seen the ugliness of this world. You have seen and even experienced unwarranted rage, hatred, jealousy, and contempt ever since you were young. So now that you have such power, how can you be content to not destroy the world that has so wronged you?" Arya asked, wanting to know more about what drove her newest friend.

Naruto paused as he was walking away, and then tilted his head back towards Arya, such that she could see half of his face but not his eyes. "Arya, as you know, humans and all living beings have their ugly parts. And sometimes, those ugly parts overwhelm themselves such that it appears that they are merely that, just ugly and twisted beings. But know, for most people, there are experiences behind them to make them display such a dark side. The villagers in my memory, it was not their fault, at least not completely. Most of them had justifiable reasons for hating the being that was sealed in me, even if they expressed their hatred the wrong way. So I hated them…in the beginning. Then as I gained comrades, I discovered what I wanted. I only wanted to protect the ones that gave my life meaning and if they wanted to protect the village, then so did I. Then that man came into the village and annihilated it within a moment. When I was about to lose, my beloved came to save me… at the cost of her life. That was the first time I experienced such pure rage and hatred. When I finally had that man's life in my very hands, I realized that if I killed him, then I would become just like the villagers that tortured me when I was but a child. It was then I found the strength to forgive them for everything they had done and give them a second chance. And guess what? They never betrayed my trust ever since. Sometimes, people get lost and sometimes, all they need is a little help. Remember that, Arya." Naruto said as he walked past the ring of elves that parted before him.

Arya looked at the back of Naruto as he disappeared amongst the elves. Then she looked back at the Menoa tree and thought back to what happened.

 _Flashback_

 _Arya watched as Naruto stretched his palms onto the trunk of the Menoa Tree when suddenly strange circular markings appeared on his face. She curiously wondered where they came from when she suddenly felt as if she was in the center of a hurricane of…life._

 _"So this is the nature chakra that Naruto keeps going on about." Arya mused as seemingly every elf approached the Menoa Tree while looking at the now unconscious blonde in various emotions, ranging from curiosity to hostility. Soon Queen Islanzadí walked past the crowd and asked Arya while pointing towards Naruto._

 _"What is he doing to the Menoa Tree? And what is that aura of power around him? It feels like the same energy from the Menoa Tree." Queen Islanzadí asked, noticing the circular marks on Naruto's face._

 _"Mother, he is surrounded by what he calls nature chakra, which allows him to enter a state of complete one-ness with nature itself. I believe he used this state to come into contact with the Menoa Treee's consciousness directly. He asked me about the Menoa Tree after noticing the strange dual-energy signature of the tree. So I told him Linnëa's story. He then said that he had felt deep regret, shame, and rage emanating from the Menoa and wanted to help her purify those feelings due to pity and feeling that she did not deserve such a punishment." Arya explained to her mother as they both looked at Naruto._

 _However, they were shocked when tree roots from the Menoa Tree suddenly grabbed onto the blonde and attempted to crush him. Soon he was buried within the roots. Arya immediately started to run towards Naruto, but was stopped by Queen Islanzadí's hand that appeared before her._

 _"Stop Arya, it is too dangerous. Even with how powerful you are, you would not be able to make a difference between those two." As Queen Islanzadí was saying this, the roots around Naruto suddenly broke up apart into pieces and rained onto the ground. Then they watched in amazement as a green glow appeared around the blonde. Soon the blonde then fell to the ground unconscious as his body worked to integrate the newly absorbed powers that were granted to him by Linnëa._

 _"I see that no harm has been done to either the Menoa Tree or to Naruto, so I will take my leave. Daughter, while we may not know the blonde that well, anyone that has been blessed by the Menoa Tree cannot be a person with bad intentions towards us elves. Also, do not think that I have not noticed the looks you have been giving to Naruto-finiarel." Queen Islanzadí slightly smiled at Arya's slightly confused face. "I see that you still regard him as only a friend. Just make sure that whatever you choose, do not regret it, for that would be the worst thing to do given our immortality." Queen Islanzadí said as she walked away from Arya and back to her home._

 _Arya stood there for a whole minute, thinking about the words her mother just told her, before turning towards the blonde and sitting next to him while observing his face while looking at his whisker marks, wondering if they were like a fox's. Before she could stop herself, she stroked one of the marks on his cheek and was startled when a purr-like rumble came from the blonde. She continued doing so with a soft smile on her face for a while before just sitting there, waiting for Naruto to wake up._

 _Flashback End_

The following month passed in a blur to the group. Naruto sparred and learned about magic and the ancient language under Arya while thinking of how to teach Arya how to use chakra. He also asked Oromis several questions about the beginning and history of the elves. From what he learned, he estimated that when the elves first left, they were similar to the civilians of the Elemental Nations. As they passed through the time/space barrier, the chakra pathways of the elves probably mutated so that they were not able to retain chakra within the pathways, but instead had it distributed into their very muscles and bones, enhancing their strength and speed but leaving them rather rudimentary in the magic department.

This all changed however after Du Fyrn Skulblaka, the war between the elves and dragons. At the end, the dragons granted the elves immortality and magical power while the elves in return gave them their language. Naruto realized that the dragons must have somehow revitalized the elves' dormant chakra pathways when they supercharged them into order to grant them immortality. This was why the elves were so much stronger than even some human riders. The strength of the shinobi people that was initially suppressed was finally awoken by the dragons. He then hypothesized that the dragons probably realized this and thus whenever they bonded to other human riders, they instinctively created chakra pathways in their riders in order to emulate what they did with the elves.

Eragon in the meantime continued learning more about the ancient language and its complexities, what it meant to be a rider, swordsmanship with an arrogant elf named Vanir, and finally the occasional life lessons the blonde gave him when they started talking. In particular, there was one talk that Eragon took to heart.

 _Flashback_

 _"Naruto, why do you fight?" Eragon asked Naruto as they sat next to each other in Oromis's cabin when the blonde came to ask Oromis a few questions regarding the history of the elves._

 _"What brought this on?" Naruto asked, amused by the questions, but then noticed the serious expression on Eragon's face._

 _"Earlier, Oromis asked me why I fought the Empire. I responded that I fought to help those who suffer under his rule and to a lesser extent, for vengeance. But then brought up that this war would cause more suffering than it would heal…and I could not deny him this. While I have gotten over who I am, I am now lost at why do I fight." Eragon said with a confused tone._

 _Silence pervaded between the two until Naruto sighed. "Eragon…first let me ask, why do you think I fight?"_

 _"Well, considering you are helping the Varden and the elves, I would say that you are fighting to end the war so that others would not have to suffer." Eragon responded after thinking._

 _Naruto slightly nodded as he heard Eragon's answer. "True, that is a fine reason to fight…but that is not the reason why I fight. Back in my homeland, I initially fought in a war to break the chain of hatred that had caused so many wars and suffering over the years. I just wanted people to be able to understand each other. I thought that once they did that there would be no need for wars."_

 _Eragon listened with rapt attention, having never thought about the possibility of all living beings of Alagaesia ever truly understanding each other and letting go of the chains of hatred that wrapped around each race. "Were you successful?"_

 _"To an extent, I was. The major villages of the Elemental Nations finally had peace with each other after defeating a common foe that brought us down to our very knees. But along the way, while that was my reason for fighting at the time, it was never truly mine. I soon realized that I had an even simpler reason for fighting, one that far surpassed having others understand each other. It was to simply protect my precious ones. The reason I fight seems so simple to the point of juvenile but unlike the previous reason, this one came from the very depths of my soul. It is the one reason that I can abandon anything and even become a monster if I need to as long as I can keep them safe. So try to think of a reason that comes from you and not just from somebody else. Do this or one day you will regret for not finding it sooner." Naruto said as he walked away, leaving Eragon thinking silently over the blonde's reason for fighting._

 _Flashback End_

" _Thank you Naruto. I have finally discovered what is truly important to me, things that I refuse to give up even if it meant giving up my very life._ " Eragon thought with a smile as he scratched Saphira's nose.

"Eragon, have you prepared for the Agaetí Blödhren? The celebration is within two days and you are expected to present something that represents you, whether that be an object or elvish poem." Oromis asked, interrupting Eragon's thoughts.

"Master, actually I have thought about what I want to share at the Agaetí Blödhren. I hope you and the others enjoy it when I finally present it." Eragon said while wondering what Naruto would present, knowing that he would present something if only to not embarrass Arya during such an important celebration. It was amusingly clear that the two were interested in each other although the two powerful and intelligent beings were somehow completely oblivious to each other's feelings.

" _Little One, are you sure you are willing to give up on the elf? If I remember correctly you did develop a liking for her, especially for her appearance._ " Saphira thought.

" _While I may have developed a small crush on Arya when I first met and rescued her, I realized in Farthen_ _Dûr that our beliefs are just too different. This was further compounded when I learned just how old Arya was. I could never compare to the amount of experience Arya has gone through. And then it finally ended when I heard the tale of the Menoa Tree and the elf maiden_ _Linnëa and her cheating lover. I realized that that could easily have been me. After all, who is to say that I won't desire a mate closer to my age. Besides, with me being a dragon rider, there is no rush."_ Eragon said though their mental link.

" _I'm glad that Master Oromis's lessons have come to fruition Eragon. You have finally started thinking logically rather with only your heart. While thinking with your heart is good, sometimes it could end up hurting others if it is not restrained by the logical thinking of the mind. Humph, personally I never understood your infatuation with Arya. I mean think about it! 100 years old is like a grandma to humans and while you too are immortal, you still have human values. Imagine marrying a grandma! Just by pure life experience you two could never find a common ground. For now, all you need is me."_ Saphira puffed out.

" _What would I do without you, my better half of existence? Actually don't answer that, I can imagine._ " Eragon thought has he drew out an ink and brush to start writing his poem for the Agaetí Blödhren.

Notes

Du Fyrn Skulblaka – The Dragon War

Agaetí Blödhren - Blood-oath celebration (held once in a century to honor the original pact between elves and dragons)


	18. An Agaetí Blödhren to Remember

Chapter 18

"Naruto, do you have something for the upcoming Agaetí Blödhren?" Arya asked several days before the celebration.

"Agaetí Blödhren? What is that?" Naruto responded with a question, wondering what kind of celebration this was.

"You mean Oromis-elda never told you? I thought he would have told you about such an important celebration that is held once every 100 years that signified the end of the Du Fyrn Skulblaka, The Dragon War, where inhibitions are released, and when we freely display our emotions. The celebration begins at midnight and then lasts for three days. On the third day, everyone presents something that represents them to the others, whether they be a poem or craft just so everyone can appreciate each other." Arya informed the blonde.

"Well, I guess there is something that I can do for the celebration. But tell me, are you going to present something to the others?" Naruto asked back as he watched Arya frown at the question.

"I did not know what to present this celebration. This will be my first Agaetí Blödhren and with me carrying Saphira's egg across Alagaesia for the past few decades, I have not thought that I would attend this century's celebration. So I do not know what to do." Arya said in a somewhat depressed tone, shamed that she could not think of anything to show to the rest of her kind.

"In that case, how about you do something with me? I have an idea that I will need your help with." Naruto said with a gleam in his eyes as Arya shot her head up towards the blonde's with a grateful smile.

 _Three Days Later_

At midnight, Queen Islanzadí raised her bare left arm so that it pointed toward the new moon like a marble spear. A soft white orb gathered itself above her palm from the light emitted by the lanterns that dotted the Menoa tree. Then Islanzadí walked along the root to the massive trunk and placed the orb in a hollow in the bark, where it remained, pulsing.

Soon after she did, Arya grabbed Naruto's arm and laughed, "It is begun! The celebration will last until the werelight in the Menoa Tree dissipates." Naruto stared in wonder at the laughing Arya, mesmerized by both the fact she was laughing, which rarely did, and the beauty of her laughter.

The next few hours were filled with the songs of the elves as each of their songs weaved together into a larger enchantment that shrouded all of the elves and the group and worked to heighten the senses, remove inhibitions, and burnish the revels with fey magic. Naruto listened as he heard grand tales of swords and magic, the rise and fall of kings, and finally the war between the dragons and elves. Suddenly, his mind was harshly nudged.

" _Ow, Kurama, what was that for?_ "

" _This singing was putting you under a genjutsu like spell, much like those two old toads did when they combined their singing. Your resistance towards such powerful genjutsus in your suppressed state has been lowered enough for you to begin to fall under it._ " Kurama informed.

" _Actually, I knew about the enchantment being placed on me by the singing, but I simply did not sense any ill intent behind it, so I let it bypass my defenses. I will pay more attention to it, but I will not actively resist. It seems all the others are letting themselves be enchanted in order enhance the festivities. For this festival, let me revel in it, it's been a while since I was last part of one._ " Naruto said as he comforted Kurama that they were in no danger.

" _Fine kit, but any hint of danger, and I'm coming out._ " Kurama half-heartedly threatened, not wanting to block his friend's happiness.

Naruto nodded and simply sat there as he experienced the celebration's effects. As time passed, he started becoming more active in the festival, from first drinking and eating with the elves to dancing along with different elves. That was when his memory started becoming slightly blurry. However, he did remember dancing with many other elven maidens, but mostly with Arya and even a few times with Queen Islanzadí.

By the time his mind cleared, he realized it was the third day already, and that it was time for everyone to present their poems and crafts. " _I hope that I really don't embarrass myself on this. And really hope that the thing with Arya will work…maybe I should have tried test running it with her before actually doing it now that I think about it._ " Naruto thought as Kurama just sweat-dropped within him.

" _Idiot…_ " Kurama muttered.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Eragon's voice suddenly resound through the now silent glade by the Menoa Tree. He had written an elvish style poem of a man that voyaged to the land of Durza, where he found and fought the foe, despite the cold terror within his heart. Yet, though at last he triumphed, the man withheld the fatal blow, for now that he had defeated his enemy, he did not fear the doom of mortals. He did not need to kill the foe in Durza. Then the man sheathed his sword and returned home and wed his love on summer's eve. With her, he spent his many days content until his beard was long and white. However, in the end, as the foe stood before the man, the man held no more fear towards his old foe and instead welcomed him like an old friend as they both left for the land of Durza to forever dwell in peace in the land of shadows. Although Eragon never mentioned himself, Naruto and the other elves could feel the similarities and hence the hardships that Eragon had gone through ever since he had left on his long journey with Saphira.

After Eragon's work was added to the elves's great library and he recited his poem one last time, now that he thought about it, he really should have Arya show the library, Saphira was next. She brought out a large black rock that was glossy and had intricate patterns that were apparently created by her licking molten rock and then reset fire to it to make the sculpture glow red at the edges as the flames made the sculpture pulse hypnotically.

After a round of applause by the elves, Glaedr brought out a slab of red oak that had a life-like appearance of Ellesméra seen from above while Oromis presented an intricate and beautiful scroll that showed a copy of a famous elven poem as well as well as a panorama of a breathtaking landscape that displayed extreme artistry, skill, and skill.

Finally, it was Naruto's turn. As he walked towards the center, it seemed as if the Menoa Tree straightened just a bit and the elves wondered what exactly this blonde would do.

"First, I wanted to give you the words of an important figure in my life that have shaped my life and will continue to do so." Naruto said as he then began in the ancient language.

 _Where the leaves dance,_

 _Fire burns._

 _The shadow of the fire will flash over the village._

 _And the leaves will grow once again._

Silence pervaded the clearing as Naruto finished his short poem that were the last words of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Naruto-finiarel, what does this poem mean? And who could have uttered such profound words?" Queen Islanzadí asked for all of them.

"In my village, we lived out a saying called The Will of Fire. It states that the entire village is like a large family unit and every shinobi, or warrior, with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect the village, as previous generations had done before them. And as long the Will of Fire burns, the village will forever stand strong. This is the philosophy that I live by. It is how I have lived by protecting my precious ones from any harm even at the cost of myself. And it will continue be the way I live, for that is my ninja way!" Naruto announced as the Queen Islanzadí bowed her head and thought of all the times she had pushed away her own daughter. As she turned towards Arya, she was surprised that Arya was already looking back at her, with true forgiveness shining in her eyes. Slowly Queen Islanzadí looked away as tears ran down her cheek before saying.

"I thank you Naruto-finiarel, for you have reminded me of something so important, and yet so basic, that I have neglected after all these years. Arya, do you truly forgive me? Will allow me to love you as I had the day you were born into this world?" Queen Islanzadí said while asking Arya.

With a strong light in her eyes, Arya nodded. "I do mother, and you have forever held that right. Just know that even when you turned me away from your halls, I too have only loved you."

Naruto clapped as he said, "Okay enough of that. I think it's time to end this part of the celebration with a bang! Now back up people, back up."

As the elves, with far more respect for the blonde than before, did so, Naruto flashed through several hand signs, inhaled, and breathed out mighty Chinese dragon of fire that could have enveloped the entirety of Ellesméra while yelling out, " _Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!_ " before spatting out several more, but smaller dragon heads and saying, " _Katon: Ryuen Hoka no Jutsu!_ "

The elves and the dragons looked in astonishment and wonder at the amount of flames that seemed alive as the dragons swirled in the sky while roaring out their cries to the heavens. Suddenly, Naruto called out at Arya, "Hey Arya, get over here! It's our turn now!" Arya looked confusedly at the blonde before remembering their last words together before clearing the gap between them with a single leap.

As soon as she landed, Naruto said, "Now just put your palm on top of mine and send as much pure magic into the palm of that hand and then let me do the rest." Arya looked at Naruto before nodding and sending as much magic as she could to her palm as it suddenly glowed and formed a ball as green as grass in the spring that levitated above her palm.

Then Naruto gently placed his hand under Arya's and whispered, "Trust me Arya. _Rasengan!_ " as small spinning ball of pure chakra that glowed a beautiful blue appeared beside the green ball of magic. Slowly, Naruto added more and more chakra as the two balls merged together until it grew to a giant glowing ball of chakra and magic, plunging the clearing into a greenish-blue light as if they were at the bottom of a lake. Soon the _Rasengan_ grew to the size of Saphira and Glaedr when the giant dragon of fire suddenly starting flying down towards the duo along with the smaller dragon heads.

Before the elves could yell out in alarm, Naruto winked at Arya, cocked their arms back, and threw the ball at the descending dragons. When they made contact, an enormous multi-colored explosion rang out as the chakra-magic _Rasengan_ pushed the dragons higher and higher, producing colored explosions along the way until it reached the height of the highest peaks of the Beor Mountains and fully exploded out in a display blue, green, red, and every color in between lights.

As the colors faded from view, the elves all around exploded into cheers and laughs at seeing such a spectacle that was obviously meant for extreme destruction being shown for their entertainment. Arya looked in astonishment at the blonde and thought to that moment when he flooded her with his power before gently smiling and slightly leaning on him as she felt tired from the amount of magic she used.

Queen Islanzadí walked to the pair while smiling. "Thank you once again Naruto-finiarel for such a beautiful spectacle. Now, it is time for the last part of the Agaetí Blödhren." She said while stepping back, allowing two beautiful elf-maids that were similar in every way except for their hair: one had tresses as black as a forgotten pool, while the other's hair gleamed like burnished silver wire walk towards the center of the space.

Notes

Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu – Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique

Katon: Ryuen Hoka no Jutsu – Fire Release: Dragon Flame Caterwaul


	19. Bonding

Chapter 19

As the twin elf-maidens got into position, Naruto heard Oromis mutter to Eragon "The Caretakers, Iduna and Nëya."

" _Caretakers of what?_ " Naruto wondered.

Moving as one, Iduna and Nëya raised their hands to the brooches holding their cloaks in place and then unclasped them, letting the cloaks fall to the ground in a small heap. Naruto stared at the spectacle as Jiraiya's training kicked in, not allowing such a sight go unappreciated. Arya, who stood beside Naruto, twitched her eyes at the sight of Naruto staring and was about to say something before Naruto placed a hand on top of her shoulder.

"Relax Arya. While those twins do have beautiful bodies, I have been trained by the greatest pervert in my world and as such gained quite a resistance towards such actions. However, in my eyes, you are far more precious to me than a pretty face. You are someone that has faced against me without giving up, have a fierce sense of duty, and a strength of both heart and body that enchant me. Combined with your looks, and I much prefer you than some naked elf I don't know." Naruto said as Arya fiercely blushed, the enchantment around the clearing still lowering both of their inhibitions almost completely.

Arya finally relaxed and watched as the twins, with a single intricate dragon tattoo that stretched from head to toe continuously between them, danced faster and faster to the drums in the background as they chanted an unknown spell that escaped the understanding of anyone in the clearing. The twins were so in synch that the dragon tattoo was never separated and was always a perfect whole and as they danced faster, the dragon appeared to be moving. When Saphira and Glaedr started humming, a light lit up the dragon tattoo and to Naruto's astonishment, blinked and came alive as it flew from the twin's skin with only its tail still attached to one of the twins.

As it roared and breathed fire into the sky, the primordial looking dragon that was larger than even Glaedr swooped down in front of Naruto and Eragon, with Eragon unknowingly lifting his palm with the silver light, and enveloped them both in its insubstantial form.

To Eragon, a voice surrounded by fire echoed in his mind, " _Our gift so you may do what you must._ "

To Naruto, a voice as powerful as any hurricane echoed in his mind, " _Our gift to the savior of his world and to all others that he shall touch._ "

The dragon then touched its snout first to Eragon's silver palm and then to the center of Naruto's head. Fire ran through the veins of Eragon as he felt his body struggle to incorporate the new power and make it his own. Naruto felt a certain lightness around his body as he felt wisps of wind flowing around and through his body. Soon, darkness claimed the both of them, one involuntary and the other voluntary.

Before they fell to the ground, a voice of fire and wind echoed again in their minds. " _Our gift to you…_ "

Startled, Arya caught Naruto before he could fall to the ground and brought him away from the celebration to the house he created using his powers while Saphira lifted Eragon with her teeth and flew to their elven residence. After Arya laid Naruto down on his bed and turned to leave, a hand shot out to grab onto her own, forcing her to turn back around to see the blonde conscious once again.

Before Arya could say anything, Naruto sighed. "Arya…like you, I am far older than what I appear. I have been looked down on, hurt by the people that I protected, stabbed through the chest by my best friend, witnessed my entire village disappear in but a moment and saved the world. But you already know this because I showed you my memories." Naruto said as he saw Arya raise an eyebrow, confused at why he was telling her this.

"What I am basically saying is that my life has not been pretty and I can easily when somebody is constantly suffering under a particular memory. And you Arya, obviously have some kind of memory that is preventing you from truly opening up to your friends and comrades. As a friend, I want you to know that I am here if you need someone to talk to."

Arya stared at her friend, stunned that she was read through so easily. Hesitation of whether to tell him about everything was evident in her expression as memories rushed through her head as she relived her moment of failure and the death of her comrades. Finally unable to keep it contained, Arya nodded before settling down beside his bed and telling him details that she never told anyone.

"My companions, Glenwing and Faolin, and I were riding through the night, transporting Saphira's egg back to Ellesméra from Farthen Dûr as we have for the past 20 years. We were just talking about how the Du Weldenvarden was at this time of year and how beautiful the flowers and trees were. It was then a stream of black arrows flashed out from the darkness. We did not even know we were under attack when one of the arrows pierced through Glenwing's head, just a few feet away from me. It was only then we saw the faint outlines of Urgals behind the trees of the forest we so loved. Caught completely by surprise, Durza jumped out from the shadows and shouted a spell towards me. A red light flashed towards my steed, killing it instantly and forcing me to jump. As I landed...I see Faolin flashing his sword all around him, preventing the arrows from impaling him. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before he made a mistake, whether it be by accident or weariness." Arya closed her eyes as tears were starting to form underneath her eyelids. Reaching out, Naruto firmly held Arya's hand, encouraging her to continue on.

With a shuddering breath, Arya continued. "When Faoilin turned towards me, I could see the relief on his face when he saw I was alright. But that cost him. Right before my eyes, I saw him suddenly be impaled by several arrows...two through his arms and another one through his heart. I watched as sadness took him and as he fell, I could read hist last word on his lips...Arya." By now Arya was crying, holding nothing back as the memory of Faoilin's death and her failure consumed her.

"After that, I ran. I ran through the forest before I was surrounded by a circle of flames with nowhere to go. Determined to fight to the death, I slew several Urgals before finally turning on Durza. He laughed as he demanded the egg from me. Just how did he find out I had it? Who betrayed us? Who caused my companions for decades their deaths? No, I did not let him have our only hope. So I did the only thing I could. I teleported the egg far away, somewhere even I did not where it would go. A red fire covered the entirety of my vision and from there everything is darkness." Arya finished, tightly gripping her friend's hand as if it was the only thing anchoring her from despair.

Naruto waited several moments before asking in a soft voice. "Who was Faoilin to you? It is obvious that he was someone special to you."

Arya stiffened before sighing. "Faoilin...was decades older than me. But despite the age gap, we were kindred spirits. We agreed on almost everything and within those twenty years of transporting Saphira's egg, we grew close. Can you understand that? For over twenty years, we were the only immortals to walk among the other short lived races. We had only each other for only we could understand each other as no other race could possibly understand eternity as us elves. How could they with their short lives? For those twenty years, Faoilin was my rock, my friend and companion, and if there was more time, possibly even my lover. But it was not to be after that night. Now you have heard what I have been hiding from everyone, something I was resolved to never tell anyone." Arya finished, staring into Naruto's eyes.

"Arya, you have obviously been through something terrible, something no being should ever have to go through. But know that you are not the only one with painful memories. I know that this might not be the best way to respond, but perhaps seeing a memory of mine might let you know that you are not alone anymore." Naruto offered as Arya paused before nodding her consent.

" _Tsukuyomi!_ " Naruto said as he drew Arya in with spinning eyes.

The moment Arya entered, she saw that she was within the same village that Naruto had showed her in Farthen Dûr, Konoha. She looked around as the blonde appeared next to her. Before Arya could ask why, Naruto merely pointed a finger towards her and said, "Watch."

Suddenly, Arya saw a man with similar eyes to Naruto and dressed in a black cloak with red clouds patterned on it. As his palm rose, the man then uttered two words, " _Shinra Tensei!_ " as the once bustling village turned into a crater as buildings and people alike were forced away from the center where the man was. Arya watched in awe and terror as she saw the pure power the man was giving out and what he could do with it. As she did, Naruto began talking.

"That man over there, Pein, was the man that headed the organization called the Akatsuki whose goal was to capture the jinchuuriki and extract their Bijuus. That's right, this man destroyed the entire village just to find me." Naruto said as Arya looked over to him in shock. While she had known about the destruction of the village, she did not know the reasons behind the attack. Now that she knew, she realized that many of his friends must have died in that attack, and it was all just to look for the man in front of her.

"This shinobi was able to manipulate six bodies, including the one that did this, that all had unique abilities. I was still training at Mount Myoboku when I heard news of the attack. When I heard about this, I immediately headed over here, but was too late to prevent the destruction of the village. After an intense battle, I was finally drained of energy and was pinned to the ground by those black rods." Naruto narrated as scenes of the battle that took place flashed before her eyes. She then saw the blonde pinned down to the ground, so unlike the seemingly invincible man in her memories.

"That was when it happened. Despite being outmatched, a girl with the most beautiful pale lavender eyes jumped out in front of me to protect me. She was so outmatched that it wasn't even funny. Just why would she do such a thing? It was then I learned that she loved me as she confessed right before my helpless eyes. I watched as she was dodged over and over again until Pein just lifted her through the air before slamming her into the ground, forming a crater where she landed. I watched in helpless horror as I saw him pull out a black rod and fatally stabbed her. I watched in despair as I saw the life leave her eyes and it was then...that I realized I actually loved her. While back then I did not know it, when I look back, I knew that was when I first realized I loved her. In pure fury and hatred towards him, I let the beast out from within me, to take revenge, to hurt the man, to KILL this man and the one controlling him. But when I finally met the controller, Nagato, I saw just how broken he was and how he was fighting for the same goal as I was...just in a completely twisted way. As I looked at him, I realized that I was looking at another version of me. Knowing this, I could not kill him. So instead I forgave him and in return, he returned all of the souls of the dead back to life." Naruto finished as he ended the _Tsukuyomi_ before looking at Arya, waiting for her answer.

"Naruto...I did not realize that you had such an experience. The memories I saw in Farthen Dûr depicted this, but I never knew the reason behind the attack. I can see why you say that I am not alone on this. And perhaps you are right. With you here, I will never be alone." Arya admitted.

"So, feeling better after all this? After all, that was the whole point of this." Naruto said cheekily.

"Yes, I feel much lighter, having told a friend of my troubles. Thank you for listening to me, and showing such an important memory of yours." Arya said as she laughed, setting the birds outside chirping.

"Remember, you are not alone, as long I am here, you will never be alone." Naruto said, confirming Arya's previous words.

"I will remember that...Naruto-vor." Arya replied.

"Vor? You did not teach me that one yet." Naruto questioned.

Whirling towards the door, Arya stopped before leaving. "It is an attachment used only for close male friends. Considering you are probably the only one that I have entrusted this memory to, you are my closest friend as of now. Good night Naruto." Arya answered, smiling with a light red blush before leaving with elegant and long strides.

"Good night Arya." Naruto said as he watched Arya disappear into the night.


	20. Chakra Awakening

Chapter 20

Naruto woke up to the sound of knocking, already knowing who was at the door. Quickly cleaning and dressing, Naruto walked towards the door and opened it to reveal Arya, who appeared far more relaxed than usual.

"Good morning Naruto-vor." Arya greeted as Naruto greeted back.

"So, want to continue your magic training?"

"Actually, I was thinking of trying to train you in the shinobi arts, or in the other words, the use of chakra." Naruto laughed as he saw the look of disbelief on her face. "After all, now that you are possibly my closest friend, not that I have many friends to begin with, I would feel much better if you grew stronger."

Arya trembled in excitement of not only growing stronger, but simply learning about something new. Living for 100 years and being a part of the most knowledgeable race made her grow jaded towards just about everything in Alagaesia, simply because she already knew most of the secrets of the land. She then realized the significance of Naruto was about to do and the trust he was showing her by teaching the secrets to his unique powers.

"Naruto, I swear to never teach anyone anything you teach me, not even if my mother asks me." Arya said to Naruto in the ancient language.

"Besides, I think I'm going to have fun tor…I mean training you…hehehe." Naruto said as Arya immediately replaced her blush in favor of a pale tone that only grew paler with each of the blonde's laugh.

 _Two Weeks Later_

As it turned out, Arya's experience with magic made it rather easy for her to awaken her chakra. As she did so, she managed to bring her chakra under control and stop it from constantly leaking from her chakra pathways and into her muscles. However, due to her constant training in magic, her chakra reserves, when finally awakened, exploded, hence absolutely killing the chakra control that most females had. Naruto noted how what was merely mid-chunin chakra reserves, increased dramatically to around low-Jonin reserves, which he found impressive since the last time he saw such chakra was from a centuries old elf. As such, when it came to learning the tree-walk, Naruto soon learned to be ready to dodge when Arya kept making the trees under her feet explode. However, when she realized that only more trees would die if she did not learn fast enough, she quickly learned how to tree-walk before moving onto water-walking. After two weeks Naruto started teaching her, she still had trouble with the basic shinobi exercise.

However, training was not the activity the two did as time passed. Ever since sharing some of their most painful memories after that night, both Naruto and Arya felt a sense of trust towards the other that toed the line beyond mere friendship.

Had it not been for the enchanted faelnirv and beguiling spells woven about the Menoa Tree, their conversation two weeks wouldn't have happened. Both simply were not the most open of people; for Arya it was partially her nature and time as an ambassador for the resistance while for Naruto, despite being a naturally sincere person, his shinobi training and experience as the Hokage took priority. Yet for some reason, they felt drawn to each other, like the two opposite ends of a magnet.

 _Flashback_

 _Arya walked on top of a pool of water, but within a few seconds started shaking before falling through the surface. As she did, she jumped up to the shore from the bottom and instantly dried herself with a quick spell._

 _She walked over to where her man - funny, when did she start to think that? - was sitting at the base of a tree while reading a book from the same library where the elves stored Eragon's work. She watched as he occasionally flinched in mild annoyance as the clones he left in the library dispelled to send everything they had read to their creator. Ever since discovering the usage of such a jutsu, she was still getting used to that word, Arya immediately made the blonde teach it to her. He did but warned to never use without him nearby for now since her control over her chakra was still not good enough. She could easily send too much chakra into her clones and thus die from chakra exhaustion._

 _When she reached Naruto, she sat down next to the blonde and enjoyed the beauty of the forest in silence together. As they sat there looking into the forest of the Du Weldenvarden, Arya asked a question she had for quite a while but never before thought she had the right to ask._

 _"_ _Naruto,_ _I have always wondered, ever since the Battle of Farthen Dûr, why did you not just quickly end the war with your enormous power that has no rival on this continent?"_

 _Naruto placed his book down on his lap and then looked at her. "Arya, do you know of the story about the beggar and the fisherman? No? Then let me tell you the gist of it. There were once two fishermen who were coming back with their catch. A beggar by the side of the road begged for a fish. One fisherman gave a fish to the beggar. From that day on, the beggar merely sat there, waiting for the fishermen to pass him by. One day, the other fisherman stopped the supply of fish. Immediately the beggar flew into a rage having gotten used to having the "right" of getting a fish. Instead, that fisherman taught the beggar how to make his fishing rod and then how to fish. Within that day, the beggar was able to catch his own food without ever having to ask the two fishermen for fish."_

 _Arya sat there, thinking over the story that the blonde had just told her. "So if you intervened with your near omnipotent power, the people of the empire and the Varden would merely rely on you to solve their problems?"_

 _"_ _Yes, however, there is a more important reason for not doing so. What do you think would happen if I, a foreigner, suddenly stormed Galbatorix's castle and then killed him?"_

 _Arya thought about it before widening her eyes. "The Varden would appear to the common people of the Empire as someone who relied on a foreigner not even from the continent. Plus killing Galbatorix is not our only goal, but to also one day make the Empire a better place by placing a just king over it while re-establishing the Dragon Riders to maintain peace. If you had just killed him, the Empire would have simply elected someone from their corrupt circle of politicians, who would most likely continue the war and the deaths of thousands of its citizens."_

 _Naruto blinked having not thought about the first reason. "Yes...that's exactly what I meant. But there is...never mind, you're right." Almost letting slip the situation of Kaguya, he quickly shut his mouth as he opted for a thin smile, hoping his little mis-slip would go unnoticed._

 _It didn't._

 _Narrowing her eyes, Arya suspiciously stared at the blond, who continued to smile that was not a smile. In the end she didn't say anything; she understood that while they were...friends, there were still secrets too personal for either of them to share. Then why..._

 _"W_ _hy do I feel so disappointed then?"_

 _Frowning at the errant thought, the elf quickly squashed the thought to paste as she gently laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder in comfort. "It's obvious there is another reason for you not killing Galbatorix other than for us, and I know we are only friends." Arya watched as his smile began to slowly fade. "So you don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to. But I am here if you ever want to...talk."_

 _Rapidly blinking, Naruto blanked gazed at her stunning emeralds for eyes before abruptly laughing. "I was that obvious, huh? Even after all these years, I still suck at lying to my friends."_

 _Initially shocked by the shinobi's sudden outburst, Arya couldn't help but quietly chuckle along, the two friend's laughter twisting through the trees of the ancient forest._

 _Flashback End_

Naruto sat next to the Menoa Tree, meditating while purifying the nature chakra flowing through the tree as he thought about the changes that had happened ever since the Agaetí Blödhren. First of all was about Eragon. Whatever that dragon from the twins did, it basically converted Eragon into an elf while retaining a few human attributes, like being able to grow a beard. He now had much more substantial chakra pathways that automatically leaked chakra into his muscles, strengthening them beyond normal human limits. With that came a large boost in magical reserves. He thought about what happened to Arya and him. He smiled at the memories that that brought them much closer.

Then he thought about the new powers that same dragon gave him. When he went to jump onto a tree to begin tree-hopping to Oromis's cabin, he completely overshot the tree and ended up somehow floating in the air. At first, he was freaked out about this before realizing that this was one of the two gifts the dragon had given him: the gift of flight without having to go into his _Rikudo Sennin Mode_. Additionally, he realized that like his Kamui, he could turn his body into wind, except there was no wait time and he could only use wind-style jutsus while in this state. It's just that it took a lot more chakra to initiate it and maintain the state. However, he found the main boon to this gift was his now unsurpassed mastery over the wind. The Fuuton: Kaze Rasengan that he had trouble creating was now as easy as creating a regular Rasengan.

His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt death envelop an area of the forest, as all of the living beings within that area ceased to live. In his Sage Mode Level 2, his connection to the living beings within his area increased drastically and while it did not bother him if they died, that was only if he steeled himself for the sensation.

" _That came from the direction of Oromis's cabin! Just what happened?_ " Naruto thought as he started shunshining in that direction.


	21. Leaving the Elves

Chapter 21

Eragon watched in horror as his spell drew on the life energy of the surrounding animals. He felt death as a line of ants keeled over motionless, a baby mouse gasped and entered the void as it lost the strength to keep its heart beating, and countless plants withered and crumbled to dust.

He whirled on Oromis and in anger, growling at him. "You knew this would happen."

Oromis smiled sadly before saying, "It was necessary. You had to understand the terrible price of wielding such power. Words cannot describe such a feeling. You had to experience the pain as the minds you shared a connection to, died because of you."

Before anyone could say anything more, a yellow blur landed next to them.

"Was that you, Eragon, Oromis? Were you the ones responsible for that wave of death I felt while I was by the Menoa Tree? Answer carefully, or I may change my opinion of the both of you." Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.

Oromis looked at the blonde before sighing. "That was me teaching Eragon how to create spells without using the energy within his own body, but rather from the bodies around us. This was meant as a lesson to him to never take energy from those who cannot sustain such a loss."

Naruto looked at the both of them, trying to see any signs of deceit, but only saw regret and sorrow in both of their eyes. His stance relaxed as he said, "So you have started teaching him how to use energy that is not his own? So you can take energy from any source that is living within your vicinity?" Naruto asked as Eragon nodded, looking at the blonde in confusion as he wondered where he was going with this.

"Then try taking it from me. Now." Eragon's eyes widened at what his friend was saying.

"No…no, I couldn't. You could potentially die if I draw too much from you." Eragon said, remembering the feeling of death just a few moments ago.

Naruto snorted in amusement. "Don't worry about that. While coming here, I was able to hear Oromis saying something about drawing energy from beings that could take it. And let me assure you, no matter how much you draw, it won't be anywhere enough to drain me. Now, do it!" Naruto said with his Hokage's voice, as Eragon immediately snapped to attention and started drawing.

Eragon gasped as he, for the first time, felt the blonde's life and energy amount. It was astonishing, beautiful, and terrifying that such an amount could live within a single body. " _By the dwarven and human gods, just how much energy does Naruto have? It feels as if not even the whole of the Du Veldenwarden could compare to such an amount!_ " Similar thoughts were running through Oromis's head as he felt out his savior's energy, except without any fear due to knowing the they had nothing to fear from the blonde.

Naruto stood there without wavering as he felt an extremely slight drain on his reserves. " _Ho, it's just like establishing a temporary bond between the user and the energy source much like a jinchuuriki's bond. How fascinating. Actually, it's just like my Preta Path, just much weaker, but no need for contact._ "

Naruto had to knock on Eragon's head as the dragon rider started getting lost and absorbing more energy than he could manage. "Hey, Eragon! Stop absorbing or else you'll explode from absorbing too much energy."

Eragon immediately stopped as he felt his mind bursting at the seams from the absorbed energy. Before potentially exploding, he immediately sent that energy into a spell that formed gigantic green energy ball before sending it away into the forest where a large explosion rang out and blasting a crater a dozen feet in diameter.

"Oromis, do you believe that this is the final stage of energy absorption?" Naruto asked.

Oromis startled, having never thought about that. "Well, yes. Unless you mean being able to absorb energy directly from energy sources like fire, sunlight, or other forces of nature. That is simply impossible as we are not strong enough to take away their energy."

"And that is where you are wrong, Oromis. Despite living with nature so long, you have forgotten that you live WITH nature, rather than TAKE from it. Why can't you do the same with the Earth's energy? Rather than take it, let it enter you as does with every other living thing on this earth. Watch."

Naruto said as he started to slowly absorb nature chakra from the surroundings, circular markings appearing on his face as he entered Sage Mode Level 2. Oromis and Eragon in the meantime looked in astonishment at the synchronism between the blonde and the surrounding nature itself. That's when the surrounding animals started emerging from their habitats and started surrounding the blonde with some even climbing on top of him.

"Amazing, to think there was such a method of not taking energy from nature, but simply sharing it. Just who could have taught him such a thing?" Oromis wondered out loud.

"Actually, the ones who taught me this, Sage Mode, were sentient toads, hehehe." Naruto said while scratching the back of his head as the two riders just looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Anyways, Eragon and Oromis. While I cannot teach you this Sage Mode, mainly because you do not have large enough reserves of energy or the required control, I can allow you to draw on my own energy when you need it. Before you protest, just know that I have far more energy than all of the living beings in this forest combined. So, if you think that even this forest is not enough, then don't do it." Naruto said cheekily.

The two riders looked at each other before just sighing, accepting the blonde's proposal.

 _One Week Later_

Eragon prepared his supplies as he started to run towards the rest of his group as they prepared to leave Ellesméra, having just found out that the Varden was about to be involved with an imminent battle. Before he could meet with his group, Oromis flew down from the sky on Glaedr and landed in front of Eragon.

As they looked at each other, Eragon asked, "Why did you hide the truth from us? Are you so determined to keep us here that you must resort to such underhand trickery? The Varden are about to be attacked and you didn't even mention it!"

Oromis sighed before answer. "The main reason is because we ourselves only discovered this a mere week ago. And if you had not noticed, Queen Islanzadí has called out to all of the elves in Du Weldenvarden. The very forests are filled with the ring of hammers, the trampling of armored boots, and the grief of those who are about to be parted. For the first time in a century, our race is set to emerge from Du Weldenvarden and challenge our greatest foe. The time has come for elves to once more walk openly in Alagaësia."

As Eragon looked down in shame for even thinking that Oromis had betrayed him, Oromis began again. "Another reason is because your own training is not complete yet. We could not risk you potentially dying in battle before you were completely ready. What if Galbatorix happens to appear in the battle? Naruto cannot always be there, even if he wants to. So at that time, you will be facing him alone, with only your and Saphira's skills behind you."

Eragon nodded, now understanding why Oromis and Glaedr kept such information away from him. They were only looking out for him.

Oromis nodded, seeing that Eragon finally understood why they did not inform him. Pulling out a pouch from behind him, Oromis started pulling items out. "In anticipation of your departure, I gathered together three gifts for you, Eragon." From the pouch, he withdrew a silver bottle. "First, some faelnirv I augmented with my own enchantments. This potion can sustain you when all else fails, and you may find its properties useful in other circumstances as well. Drink it sparingly, for I only had time to prepare a few mouthfuls."

He handed the bottle to Eragon, then removed a long black-and- blue sword belt from the pouch. The belt felt unusually thick and heavy to Eragon when he ran it through his hands. It was made of cloth threads woven together in an interlocking pattern that depicted a coiling Lianí Vine. At Oromis's instruction, Eragon pulled at a tassel at the end of the belt and gasped as a strip in its center slid back to expose twelve diamonds, each an inch across. Four diamonds were white, four were black, and the remainder were red, blue, yellow, and brown. They glittered cold and brilliant, like ice in the dawn, casting a rainbow of multicolored specks onto Eragon's hands.

"Master..." Eragon shook his head, at a loss for words for several breaths. "Is it safe to give this to me?"

"Guard it well so that none are tempted to steal it. This is the belt of Beloth the Wise—who you read of in your history of the Year of Darkness—and is one of the great treasures of the Riders. These are the most perfect gems the Riders could find. Some we traded for with the dwarves. Others we won in battle or mined ourselves. The stones have no magic of their own, but you may use them as repositories for your power and draw upon that reserve when in need. This, in addition to the ruby set in Zar'roc's pommel, will allow you to amass a store of energy so that you do not become unduly exhausted casting spells in battle, or even when confronting enemy magicians."

Last, Oromis brought out a thin scroll protected inside a wooden tube that was decorated with a bas-relief sculpture of the Menoa tree. Unfurling the scroll, Eragon saw the poem he had recited at the Agaetí Blödhren. It was lettered in Oromis's finest calligraphy and illustrated with the elf's detailed ink paintings. Plants and animals twined together inside the outline of the first glyph of each quatrain, while delicate scrollwork traced the columns of words and framed the images.

"I thought," said Oromis, "that you would appreciate a copy for yourself."

Eragon stood with twelve priceless diamonds in one hand and Oromis's scroll in the other, and he knew that it was the scroll he deemed the most precious. Eragon bowed and, reduced to the simplest language by the depth of his gratitude, said, "Thank you, Master."

Then Oromis surprised Eragon by initiating the elves' traditional greeting and thereby indicating his respect for Eragon: "May good fortune rule over you."

"May the stars watch over you."

"And may peace live in your heart," finished the silver-haired elf. He repeated the exchange with Saphira. "Now go and fly as fast as the north wind, knowing that you—Saphira Brightscales and Eragon Shadeslayer— carry the blessing of Oromis, last scion of House Thrándurin, and the last living elven Dragon Rider of Glaedr.

Eragon left with Saphira and continued on to the meeting spot with his group that they set up the moment Eragon found out about the upcoming battle.

Eragon landed in a small clearing that the rest of the group were already in. As he landed, Naruto asked, "So, have you taken care of everything you wanted on your side?"

"No, there is one last thing. I still want to meet Queen Islanzadí before leaving, but I did not know if Arya wanted to meet with her." Eragon said.

"I have already spoken to my mother before coming here. Go to her if you must. We will continue waiting here." Arya said as she stood close to Naruto, while thinking of the conversation she had with her mother.

 _Flashback_

 _"No, I cannot allow this! I have already pushed you away long enough and what resulted from that? For near a century, I lost the presence of my daughter, all because of a moment of folly from me. Arya-svit-kona, I have already lost you once, do not make me experience that pain again." The queen pleaded, except this time in private to show her sincerity to her._

 _"...Mother, I too wished that I was not so stubborn at that time. Maybe then I could have done what Naruto called: the underneath of the underneath. But that time has passed and my place now is with my comrades, my friends, and my closest friend ever since Faolin." Arya declared as Queen Islanzadí widened her eyes, having known how close Arya was to Faolin._

 _"Are you doing this for the good of Alagaesia, or are you doing this for Naruto?" The queen asked, curious about her daughter's response in both answer and expression._

 _She watched as her daughter's face went from impassive to slightly vulnerable, and knew the answer without Arya even speaking. Placing a finger on her daughter's lips, the queen softly said, "I see you have made up your mind. But do not use a cause to hide your feelings for this Naruto. I just hope it does not end as it did with Faolin and that you two end up happily together. So be it. Now go, Arya Dröttning, Daughter of_ _Queen Islanzadí, Princess of the Elves, with my blessing!_ _"_

 _Arya still gave her mother a confused look but eventually bowed, although deep in her heart she started to realize her feelings towards her friend._

 _Flashback End_

An hour later, Eragon returned, except this time with an elegant bow with silver chasings slung over his shoulder and a quiver fully of white swan-feathered arrows. As everyone climbed on top of Saphira, all of them could only think of one thing.

" _Stay safe…everyone_."

Notes

Faelnirv – An elven drink similar to mulled cider mixed with mead.

Lianí Vine – A vine bearing trumpet shaped pink and white flowers.


	22. Eve of the Battle of the Burning Plains

Chapter 22

The group flew on Saphira the same way they did on their way to Ellesméra, except this time Arya joined Orik in Naruto's _Kamui_ dimension. Without the extra weight and Glaedr's training, Saphira flew even faster than she did before. As they flew, Eragon explained to Naruto about being able to store energy inside the gems on his hidden belt as well in the jewel on Zar'roc's hilt. Naruto nodded before allowing Eragon to transfer his energy to the jewels he had.

" _Huh, these jewels can take quite a bit of energy, just about a high-chunin's worth of chakra per jewel on his belt and a low-chunin's worth of chakra in that sword of his. Maybe I could store chakra in seals rather than just using them to suppress my chakra and body. Something to think about later._ " Naruto thought.

"So Eragon, you told us that the Varden was under imminent attack, but you have not told us where exactly this battle will take place yet. Mind telling us now?" Naruto asked.

"Actually, I do not know exactly where the main Varden camp is." Eragon said as Naruto sweat-dropped.

"I see. Would it be safe to assume that Ajihad will be with the main Varden army?" Naruto asked.

"Wherever the Varden's army is, Ajihad is definitely there. Are you going to go into your Sage Mode?" Eragon asked as he remembered the details of Sage Mode the blonde told him when he asked him about it after leaving Ellesméra.

Without answering, Naruto immediately started drawing vast amounts of nature chakra. Within a second, circular markings appeared on his face while his eyes turned golden. After a moment, Naruto pointed in the direction Ajihad's energy signature was coming from.

With a nod, Eragon informed Saphira of the new direction through their mental link. Saphira nodded before tilting herself towards the new direction. Before falling asleep, Naruto called upon the powers the dragon from the twins gave him and had the wind flow with Saphira, almost doubling her already speed while cutting her energy cost.

 _Two Days Later_

Naruto had Arya and Orik exit his _Kamui_ as they approached a long, low brown cloud that had earlier appeared over the distant horizon. The cloud only grew larger and larger as it covered the land beneath with a shroud of foul vapors. Soon the group and Saphira were covered by the dark clouds and almost suffocated when they found out that the clouds were not clouds at all, but rather thick fumes of smoke that emerged from the faint outlines of two armies beneath it as well as from other small holes that dotted the landscape.

As they descended from the sky, they observed that the large river that ran through the land did not look like it as if water ran through it, but rather a milky white substance with a strange luminescence. The land itself was was pockmarked by crevices and was completely devoid of vegetation except for some black, orange, and red lichen that gave the land a scabbed appearance. None of the group had ever laid eyes on a more uninviting place.

Then they laid their eyes on the two vast armies arrayed beneath them. To the south was the Varden's army with around 30,000 humans and another 30,000 dwarves. In between the two armies was a span of land around two miles long. But to the north was not merely an army, but a sea of men, horses, and war machines. In that sea was around 100,000 men that were armored in the red and black colors of Galbatorix.

As they flew towards the Varden's side, a sudden hail of arrows shot towards them. As Naruto raised his palms at the incoming projectiles, Eragon grabbed his friend's wrist and pulled it down before saying, "Let me handle it."

Raising his right hand, Eragon cried, "Letta orya thorna!" The arrows froze in place. With a flick of his wrist and the word "Gánga," he redirected them, sending the darts boring toward the no-man's-land, where they buried themselves in the barren soil without causing harm. He missed one arrow, though, which was fired a few seconds after the first volley.

Eragon leaned as far to his right as he could and, faster than any normal human, but still slow to Naruto, plucked the arrow from the air as Saphira flew past it.

"A bit much, don't you think?" Naruto asked when he saw Eragon grab the offending arrow.

"Like you're one to talk. You were about to do that _Shinra Tensei_ that you did against the Urgals with Durza. That could have blasted those arrows miles away and you are telling me that catching an arrow is a little much?" Eragon dead-panned as Naruto just pouted with Arya and Orik chuckling at the two friends' antics.

When they finally landed, they were met by the big man Fredric and the guards that shot the arrows at them. Instead of killing them, Eragon merely gave back the arrow he caught earlier while saying encouraging words to all of them. Fredric then led the group to large tent with the emblem of the Varden, a white dragon holding a rose above a sword pointing downward on a purple field. After the group dismounted and entered the tent, Saphira then poked her head through the tent flaps.

In the tent stood both Ajihad and his daughter, Nasuada over a pile of scrolls and maps as they argued the best course of action for the upcoming battle. Soon they noticed the group standing there. Their eyes widened as they took in Eragon's new look and the apparent closeness between between Naruto and Arya. Without having to be asked, Eragon launched into a summary of what happened during their stay in Ellesméra, especially how during the Agaetí Blödhren Eragon experienced a change that gave him elf-like abilities. He did not mention anything about Naruto's powers, figuring that it was up to him if he wanted to let others know. He then told the father/daughter pair about what Queen Islanzadí informed him: the elves were finally leaving the Du Weldenvarden and will be attacking the northern part of the Empire and that a group of twelve elven spellcasters will be arriving here, but not in time for the battle.

After the two gathered all of the information they wanted about from Eragon, the two finally turned to Naruto and Arya, noting that the closeness between the two was not merely that between simple friends. They did not ask about this however, respecting the two's privacy but instead asked other things.

"Naruto, just how many enemy troops are on the other side?" Ajihad asked as he wanted to know if the numbers they had matched that of the blonde's.

"I sense around 100,000 humans, but at the same time no Urgals or Kull. It would seem that whatever hold Galbatorix held over them disappeared after the Battle of Farthen Dûr. However, while I have not sensed any Urgals or Kull in their direction, I do feel around 100 of them coming towards us from our side. Funny thing is that they have no negative intentions towards us. So before we have an incident, I think we should send out men to bring them in." Naruto said as the two wondered why exactly the Urgals and Kull were here, and in such few numbers. Instead of pondering this, the two nodded as they had Jörmundur and a few other commanders gather within their tent as well as give orders to allow and escort the incoming Urgals and Kull safely to them.

"Are you sure we should just let these Urgals and Kull into the camp, not to even to mention the command tent? Surely you don't mean to grant them an audience?" Eragon asked.

"Eragon, despite your newfound powers, Naruto, and the incoming elves, we are still vastly outnumbered. And this time, there is no tunnel that can funnel them in. Whether you like it or not, we are still disadvantaged." Ajihad responded.

Naruto walked up to Eragon and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Eragon, do not let the previous battle color your view of them. I remember your experiences with the Urgals and I can see why you have such a negative view of them, and you may even view them as mere animals. But remember that the elves too viewed the dragons as mere animals in the beginning. Do not condemn an entire race for the actions of a few...even if it was a few tens of thousands *cough*. And besides, even if they do try anything, did you forget that in this tent is me, Arya, you, and Saphira? Do you honestly think we can't handle whatever that they can throw out at us?" Naruto said as Eragon stopped to think about it and nodding his understanding.

As the Urgals and the Kull were brought in, one particularly large Kull, stepped up in front of them. The Kull was eight and a half feet tall, with strong and proud features, thick horns that spiraled all the way around, bared yellow fangs, and a musculature that spoke of his superior strength. Stepping forward, the Kull lifted his and roared at Ajihad. Knowing the Urgal's customs, Ajihad waved off the others before they could draw their weapons.

"Thank you, Lord Nightstalker. You have upheld your word of granting us safe passage." The Kull said with a thick, guttural accent.

"Unlike Galbatorix, we the Varden are not liars and keep our word. Speak your mind; while you are here without negative intentions, you need not fear danger to you or your party."

The Kull shifted around before baring his throat, a gesture of friendship. "I am Nar Garzhvog of the Bolvek tribe. I speak for my people." It seemed as if he chewed on each word before spitting it out. "Urgals are hated more than any other race. Elves, dwarves, humans all hunt us, burn us, and drive us from our halls."

"There are obvious reasons behind that, Nar Garzhvog." Ajihad shot back.

Surprisingly, Garzhvog nodded in understanding. "Not without reason. Our people love war. Yet how often are we attacked just because you find us as ugly as we find you? We have thrived since the fall of the Riders. Our tribes are now so large, the harsh land we live in can no longer feed us."

"I can see where this is going. You made a pact with Galbatorix in return for better lands. But I am guessing that after the battle of Farthen Dûr, you sent an envoy to Galbatorix only to get nothing in return." Ajihad mused.

"That is correct Lord Nightstalker. Our Herndall, the dams who rule us, sent my brood mate to Galbatorix as that envoy. She did not return. Our finest rams sacrificed themselves for Galbatorix, and he abandoned us like a broken sword. He is _drajl_ and a lack-horned betrayer. If you would have us, we will fight for you despite our smaller numbers. We ask for only two things." Garzhvog said with anger.

"And what do is it that you want?" Ajihad questioned.

"Blood. We want Galbatorix's blood to forever be gone from this land. And after the Empire falls, we ask that you give us land, land for breeding and growing, land to avoid more battles in the future."

After a few minutes of discussion with his advisors and the group, Ajihad finally lifted his, also baring his throat. "That can be done. Consider yourself a part of the Varden from now on."

As the Urgals left, Ajihad commanded, "Spread the word that the Urgals and Kull are now part of the Varden. Anyone that attacks them shall be punished as if he attacked a fellow human, dwarf, or elf."

The group mounted Saphira once more when a sentry shouted out that a horseman from Empire was approaching. When the soldier stopped outside of the Varden, he shouted out for them to surrender to Galbatorix and the Empire. As he did so, Naruto leaned over to Eragon and Sapphira.

"Is this what people in this land always do? Is there always so much…posturing?"

"Well, it is not uncommon…" Eragon started, "there are quite a few examples of it."

"Well, that guy is getting quite annoying and I'm guessing that nobody here would want to kill the envoy. So how about we do something special for this guy?" Naruto said with sparkles dancing in his eyes.

The entire group tried to back as far away as they could while still on Saphira when they saw that trademark gleam in the blonde's eyes. How in the world he decorated the Menoa Tree in Christmas decorations or somehow managed to glue both Oromis and Eragon to their respective dragons where not even magic could do anything, nobody knew. Eragon shuddered at the memory as he asked his blonde friend. "What are you thinking of doing Naruto?"

"Oh, nothing fancy, just have Saphira roar out at him and then while she's doing that, I'll just take off some of my chakra suppressors and direct it to the Empire's army." Naruto said innocently as everyone quickly paled, having felt how much pressure the blonde could give off…when he was not trying. They did not even want to think about what would happen if completely took off his limiters.

" _I like this plan! It's just what a dragon would do. Shock and awe._ " Saphira thought through their mind link as Eragon nodded towards Naruto.

"Alright. 3…2…1." Naruto said.

Just as the envoy threw a severed head towards the Varden, Saphira opened her jaws and roared out, shaking the air and forcing the armies and the envoy to cover their ears if they didn't want broken eardrums. But what came right after the roar started shocked everyone. A sudden pressure crushed down on the army of the Empire, forced everyone to crash down to the ground, and start coughing out whatever they ate and in some cases, blood. The envoy looked around wildly, trying to see the source of the mountain-like pressure when he suddenly saw a patch of distorted air on top of the sapphire dragon and a man with the strangest eyes he had ever seen. In a few seconds, the pressure slowly lifted as the soldiers of the Empire were finally able to stand back up, although now completely in fear of the Varden and the man behind the dragon rider.

"Well, it seems they got the message." Naruto said as Saphira flew the group back to the ground and into the ranks of the Varden.

The Battle of the Burning Plains was about to begin.

Notes

Letta orya thorna – Stop those arrows

Gánga – Go

Drajl – Spawn of maggots


	23. Last Prank Before Battle

Chapter 23

As soon as the group landed back down on the ground, they were met with Ajihad, Nasuada, and a small group of four Kull. Ajihad greeted them as he began to lay out the plans for the upcoming battle.

"Eragon, you will lead the Du Vrangr Gata and help them target the Empire's spell casters. However, if Galbatorix appears with Shurikan, you will face him alone. The Du Vrangr Gata is no more a threat to you, as it is to him and I refuse to sacrifice them for nothing. Before the elves sent by Queen Islanzadí arrive, your flank will be guarded by the dwarves and Garzhvog's finest Kull…who are willing to be mentally checked for treachery by you."

Before Eragon could protest Ajihad's decision, Naruto laid a hand on his shoulder while looking directly into his eyes.

"Eragon, do not let your past encounters color your vision right now. They are willing to lay their very lives and memories before you. You cannot just wave that kind of resolution away."

Eragon gave Naruto a look before nodding his agreement and striding towards Nar Garzhvog and his Kull.

Naruto watched as Eragon went through the Kull's minds, noting how his expression went from disgust, to surprise, and finally to open admiration. Naruto smiled as Eragon finished his mind examination while baring his throat in respect to Nar Garzhvog and welcoming the Kull to the Varden.

Once the examination was done, Ajihad pulled Naruto the side and away from sight of the others. When they were out of sight, Ajihad began telling the blonde, "Naruto, honestly, I still do not know if I and the Varden can trust you. From your memories, I can tell that you were at least once an honorable man, but there is always a chance that you have changed for the worse, especially with all of that power you wield. However, after seeing you obviously having the trust of Eragon, Saphira, and Arya, I will trust their judgment. Much like Eragon, I have never had a person like you under my command. You are completely unlike any other soldier, even more so than Eragon and Saphira for at least there still people who remember how they fought. All I can ask is for you to help us in whatever way you can and if Eragon is every in trouble, do everything you can to save him, for he is the symbol that all the races of Alagaesia can rally under to fight the Empire."

Naruto stood there, thinking through all of Ajihad's words and found them reasonable. After all, how could anyone immediately trust a total stranger with enormous power in his hands?

"Ajihad, I understand your hesitation in trusting me. I only hope that after this battle you will finally be able to trust me and know that as long you are fighting the Empire; I will not harm the Varden. As for Eragon, there is no need to ask me to protect him as he is one of my few friends on this continent. But I have feeling that there is still something you wish to ask me?" Naruto questioned as the leader of the Varden looked a bit startled.

"There is indeed something I wish to ask of you, but I was afraid that I was pushing my bounds. But if it is possible, please protect my daughter, Nasuada. Should I fall, she is to be my successor. She has the potential to be a greater leader than me, but she just needs time to mature and gain more experience in the difficulties in leading such a large army and organization." Ajihad said after a moment of hesitation.

Naruto thought about it before nodding in confirmation to the request. "Will Nasuada be leading a division of soldiers herself, or will she stay by you?" As Ajihad confirmed the former option, Naruto continued. "Then for at least the beginning of the battle, I will stay by her side and protect her from all fatal harm. However, I will move how as I think I should and should Nasuada try to dissuade me for no good reason, I will ignore her orders."

After that, Naruto shunshin'd away back to the group, to stop in front of Nar Garzhvog and his Kull. As he suddenly appeared in mid-air, Garzhvog and his Kull almost pulled out their weapons. When they saw who it was, they paused their actions, although they still kept a hand on their weapons.

"Nar-uto, we are honored to have the chance to battle alongside such a mighty warrior, and one who has done so much for us." Garzhvog said once he identified the blonde.

Naruto started, not expecting the compliment that he recognized from the texts he read, nor the sincerity behind the statement. "Why are you saying this? I slaughtered thousands of your best like sheep. If anything, your entire race should have an unresolvable grudge against me."

"Nar-uto, you obviously do not know much of our way of life. We are a people who value feats in battle above all else. To be able to kill so many of our finest rams and even help Firesword defeat Durza and free us from his control, places you above even Firesword and his Flametongue. Should you ever come to our halls, we will welcome you like none before.

" _Hmmm, these Urgals are just like the Kaguya clan, the bone manipulators. They value feats in battle above all else and seem to enjoy the fight just as much._ " Naruto mused as he stuck out a hand for the Kull to shake. After a moment of confusion, Garzhvog realized what the blonde wanted and also held out his hand. However, the moment their hands met, Naruto pulled the eight and a half feet giant closer before whispering.

"I know that Eragon has already mind examined you and has obviously found nothing wrong. But…should you ever betray his trust, I will hunt you all down. While I won't kill the women, children, or the elderly, I will set your people so far back that they won't be able to recover within the next century."

"You need not worry about that Nar-uto. As long the Varden keeps their word, we will have no reason to fight. Also we are not like Galbatorix; once we give our word, we keep it." Garzhvog said, not surprised at the threat from the blonde.

Naruto appeared next to Eragon who was once again on Saphira.

"Naruto! Just how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!" Eragon said as he almost bisected the blonde that appeared behind him.

" _Just how does he do that? Even with my new improvements, I still can't sense him when he does that._ "

" _Don't think about it Little One. I'm the one he's standing on, and I never felt a thing._ "

"Did you need something Naruto?" Eragon asked.

"Eragon, I will be guarding Nasuada, at least at the beginning of the battle. So I will not be fighting with you. I know that with your strength that you do not need my help against the regular army or even the Empire's spell casters. However, expect the unexpected. Should Galbatorix or Kami forbid another Rider shows up, you will be alone for at least part of that battle. If I am correct, you won't be able to draw energy from me so far away. So remember the Hiraishin kunai you have with you. The moment you need help, just throw it at your opponent or the ground and I will be there." Naruto said as he shunshin'd away after Eragon confirmed that he still had the Hiraishin kunai to where he felt Arya was.

Naruto stopped in front of a lone tent that seemed somewhat isolated from the rest of the sea of tents of the Varden. Flaring his chakra, a little so that Arya could tell who was outside, Naruto then stepped inside. As he did, he noticed the bareness of the space, which was not unexpected considering Arya's personality. But he stopped when he saw Arya changing out of her dust-ridden clothes and into a comfortable outfit, which completely hugged her figure, to be worn underneath her hardened elven leather armor.

Blinking rapidly, Naruto was about to turn around to leave out of consideration when Arya started to speak. "Naruto-vor, is there something you need?"

"If you need a moment to change, I can wait outside until you are done, ya know."

"No need, I am already nearly done, or have you forgotten the speed of the elves?" Arya said with an amused tone.

Hearing this, Naruto turned around to see Arya already in her leather armor and fully dressed. Clearing his throat, "Arya, I will be protecting Nasuada at the beginning of the battle, so I will not be able to help until I confirm that Nasuada and her men will be able to protect themselves on the battlefield. But remember the Hiraishin kunai I gave you back then. Should you ever need me, throw it and I will be there in a flash. And remember your training." Arya gave a confused look at her friend, wondering how exactly her little training could be used.

"Arya, tell me, do you remember how many men there are out there?"

Arya immediately answered. "100,000 men and spell casters."

"You forgot about the 60,000 men and dwarves of the Varden plus a few thousand Urgals." Naruto said in a teasing tone while Arya frowned a little at the trick question. "Now imagine that number of men and dwarves clashing against each other. Think about the amount of blood being spilled on the battlefield and the resulting slipperiness of the ground. Think about the number of swords and spears being stabbed, hacked, and slashed at you. Don't you think that being able to stick to the ground would negate most of those disadvantages?" Naruto said as Arya's eyes widened at the potential applications of such a simple thing.

Just as Naruto was leaving the tent, a slightly unsteady voice rang. "Naruto, will you be alright? You won't leave me alone, not again?" Arya said, insecurity for the first time showing on her face before looking at the floor.

Lightly smiling, Naruto started walking with two fingers outstretched. Stopping right before Arya, Naruto continued the path of his arm until his two fingers poked Arya's smooth, pale forehead. Arya flinched as she felt a firm and unexpected poke to her forehead. Glaring slightly at the blonde, Arya was about to complain until she saw the soft smile on his face.

"Arya, my best friend in Alagaesia, of all people, do not worry about me. As long as you have that kunai, you will never be alone, not now, not ever." Naruto reassured Arya as he walked away.

Arya stood there for a moment while tightly holding the unused Hiraishin kunai Naruto had given her what now seems a lifetime ago before stepping out the tent and towards the battlefield.

After speaking to Arya, Naruto moved to where Nasuada was, with her men. But when he searched the energy signatures around her, he gave a grunt of surprise when he recognized one of the them that was…wrapped around her. Naruto's eye glinted as brought out a camera from one of his seals. He then muttered, " _Toton Jutsu,_ " and disappeared from sight as he then activated his _Kamui_ to become intangible as he walked through the walls of the tent.

What he saw would have made Jiraiya proud to write in his Icha Icha series. The daughter of the leader of the Varden, Nasuada was practically melded together with the son of Morzan, Murtagh as they heavily made out with a sense of desperation from the upcoming battle. They continued until the heard a soft click. Drawing their swords, the whirled around, back to back, as they searched for the source of the sound.

"Come out you coward! If you're here to fight, then let's get this over with." Murtagh shouted at the empty space as he tried to shield Nasuada.

"Man, you gotta loosen up Murtagh. At least you're not like Sasuke in regards to girls or else I might have mistaken you for him." Naruto said as he dropped the jutsu, but still clicking away with the camera at the pair.

"Naruto! It's good to see you. Are Eragon and Saphira alright? Nasuada told me that they had returned, but that he looked more like an elf with a few human features. And what is that clicking box?" Murtagh asked as he dropped his guard.

"Well, Eragon is actually better than ever before. While his body and face changed, he is still that man you knew from before, just more mature and less naïve to the ways of the world. As for this "clicking box", this is a camera. Care to guess what it does?" Naruto asked back as he saw Murtagh shake his head. "It takes completely realistic pictures of the things these lens is pointed at. Now, want to know what pictures I took?" Naruto asked again with a foxy smile as the pair paled noticeably, even Nasuada.

"Naruto! How could you? As your commanding officer, I demand those pictures!" Nasuada yelled at the blonde with a flustered tone.

"How about…nope!" Naruto said as he raced around the tent before Nasuada could pounce on him. Before he completely left, he said a few parting words. "Nasuada, I'll be back at dawn before the battle begins. And Murtagh…nice job." Naruto said and exited with a thumbs-up and a gleaming smile that would have done Lee and Guy proud.

Naruto shunshin'd away from the army to enter his _Kamui_ and wait for the battle to begin.

Notes

Nar – A sign of ultimate respect in the Urgal culture. A war chief of war chiefs


	24. Battle of the Burning Plains

Chapter 24

"So Naruto, it seems another battle is approaching, except this one will be far larger and bloodier than the one before. Also there is no tunnel this time, so you can't hide your abilities as had before. And because of the many improvements you experienced in that elven forest, you will have to increase your resistance and chakra seals even further if you want to hide your abilities still." Kurama said while in the _Kamui_ dimension.

"True, but should I continue to hide my abilities? If I continue to hide and limit my abilities by such a large margin, many of the Varden will die and for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this battle." Naruto answered.

Kurama narrowed his giant eyes at that statement, knowing that his host's instincts were almost always correct, probably a sense honed when he was still abused by the village when he was young.

"In that case, I suggest revealing a few more jutsus, and I hate saying this, your _Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_. However, increase your resistance seals to 40x because of that damn dragon's blessing, your body is now quite a bit lighter with the wind that is constantly flowing around you. Also, keep your chakra suppressors to that of a high chunin level and only if needed, to Kage level reserves. Any more and you risk just annihilating their entire army, 100,000 men or not. This battle should definitely evolve your body much further than it did in that mountain." Kurama instructed Naruto as it became dawn outside the _Kamui_ dimension.

"Damn that blonde, just where is he? I sent men looking for him all over the camp, but so far there's no sign of him." Nasuada fumed as Murtagh tried to calm her down.

"Nasuada, calm down just a little. Knowing Naruto, he would never break his word. Besides, even when dealing with the Council of Elders, you are not usually this…irate." Murtagh said, trying to comfort his partner.

Nasuada sighed, knowing that Murtagh was correct, otherwise her father would never entrust her safety with Naruto. "I know love, but something about that blonde really rubs me the wrong way. It's not that I hate him, it's just that after what he did last night, I find his very presence a little annoying."

"Ne, that seems rather mean, don't you think so Murtagh?" said a voice behind the pair.

Whirling around, the two saw the blonde again clad in what he wore in the Battle of Farthen Dûr, a white trenchcoat with red kanji and a fire-like pattern on the bottom over a standard Konoha Jonin outfit.

"Naruto, one day there will be somebody fast enough to lop off a body part or two if you keep doing that." Murtagh sighed, but understanding from the blonde's displays of power that no one in Alagaesia could possibly do that except for perhaps Galbatorix.

"Naruto! Where were you this entire time? I had men looking for you, men that could have been getting used to the battlefield and prepping for battle." Nasuada asked, demanding answers from the blonde.

Understanding from where she was coming from, Naruto merely tilted his head to one side before answering. "I did say that I would be here when it was dawn, and here I am. When I say I will do something, then I will do it. Now come, what is your strategy for your soldiers and how many do you have?"

Nasuada looked at the blonde before sighing, knowing that her outburst was a little uncalled for but rather from the nerves and jitters before the upcoming battle. "I have 10,000 men under my command. There is not much that can be done differently other than arranging all of the shield bearers in front and have them interlock shields in order to prevent the Empire from overrunning us from their sheer numbers. After the initial clash, I will have spear bearers start to attack over the shields and after the line breaks, have the men switch to swords to engage in the inevitable melee. I will have the commanders under me and their key men protected by spell casters, both mentally and physically while these spell casters stay in the back with the archers, who will constantly attack whenever they can. As for Murtagh and me, we will stay among the men and direct the battle."

Naruto thought about the strategy and honestly could not find much fault to it, especially when most of the men that were fighting were only using weapons and not magic. However…

" _Kit, tell me you're not going to pull a Madara. I thought that you didn't want to draw attention to you._ " Kurama said as he grew a little worried, not for his safety, but for his relative anonymity.

" _I did Kurama and I still do. But this is the only way to lessen the casualties while protecting Nasuada without resulting to mass destruction jutsus. Besides, most of the attention will be drawn towards Eragon and his giant, shiny, blue dragon._ " Naruto said back as he looked at Nasuada in the eyes and stated his suggestion.

Nasuada hesitated in answering, having heard of the fact that the man in front of her had eliminated 4,000 Urgals and Kull by himself from her father. She thought about it for another minute before reluctantly nodding her agreement, hoping that she was not making a mistake.

Within the hour, the Varden assembled and poured through the gaps of their fortifications they had set up beforehand as they snuck up on the still unawares Empire. When they were three-quarters of the way through, the sentries of the Empire spotted them and the sounds of horns and shouts rang out from the enemy camp.

Eragon, Saphira, and Arya started towards the enemy's army when they suddenly noticed a lone blonde with a white trenchcoat running ahead of Nasuada's division and straight towards the still assembling enemy army. While they knew of the blonde's power, they still worried that a random spear or sword among the 100,000 men could still end his life.

Naruto ran towards the incoming army and activated his Rinne-Sharingan while pulling out a Hiraishin kuani and sending a slight amount of chakra through his muscles, activating Tsunade's super strength. While he was now as strong as Tsunade, it was not nearly as strong as he could become.

"Now, let's dance!"

The men of the Empire gulped their saliva down as they recognized the blonde as the man that nearly crushed them with his mere power. Uncontrollably, they drew their weapons and ran while yelling towards the incoming blonde blur, as if by instinct they knew that if they did not fight now, they would never get to fight.

Like a wrecking ball, Naruto bulldozed through the enemy lines, leaving a trail of blood and gore as the sheer force of his charge shattered the much more fragile men of Alagaesia. With his eyes constantly spinning, he saw the paths of the incoming swords, spears, and arrows and effortlessly redirected the weapons towards the enemy while still bisecting people left and right as he channeled wind chakra along his kunai.

A man attempted to impale the blonde with a thrown spear when Naruto simply grabbed the spear and threw it right back at its owner while impaling the man and 10 more behind him. Another soldier, clad in red and black, and his comrades circled the blonde before slashing at him, not caring about the possible injuries they could inflict on each other as Naruto swept his kunai out while extending the wind chakra beyond the kunai itself, slashing all of the men in two at the waist. Soon enough, a spell caster attempted to penetrate his mind, only for Kurama to suddenly appear before him, roaring out in annoyance as such an insignificant being dared to even try to penetrate his friend's mind. The spell caster immediately grew limp, dying from the sheer amount of power that ran through his mind to the point of melting it. Hearing a sound behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see the Varden starting to crash into the Empire's ranks as they followed the blonde's example.

" _Kurama, the Varden have arrived and as much as I hate to say it, I'm not destroying the enemy fast enough. Soon, Nasuada will be entangled in the fighting and my job will become much harder as I know she will be in the thick of the fighting._ " Naruto thought to Kurama as he punched with the hand without the kunai into another man, shooting the corpse into one of the catapults that the Empire had brought and directly destroying it, the force behind the human projectile completely overwhelming any sort of magical protections around the catapult.

" _Are you finally going to be using that kunai in your hand for its true purpose rather than slashing people in half? Not that I'm complaining._ " Kurama snickered in the mindscape.

" _Yes, it's time to kick it up a notch_." Naruto said as he started to lift off the ground using the new powers he gained from the twin's dragon.

Eragon, Arya, and Saphira had long taken to the air, with Arya performing a mighty leap just as Saphira was about to lift off, to witness the massacre happening around their friend. They watched with sick fascination and admiration as they saw Naruto run straight through the men as if they were not there, redirect all of the weapons around him, and slash and dodge all of the soldiers around him. Their friend was like a force of nature, completely unstoppable and untouchable.

" _Eragon, it's our turn. The Varden are moving again and it is time for us to lead the men into the fight._ " Saphira said to both Eragon and Arya.

Eragon and Arya shook themselves from their stupor of watching their friend and were about to land when they saw Naruto suddenly fly up into the air. They worried whether their friend was forced to retreat when they suddenly saw him throw the kunai in his hand that suddenly multiplied into the thousands to land among the red and black army, killing many on their own. They wondered what exactly he was planning when suddenly he disappeared from the air as a patch of the battlefield turned into a series of yellow flashes and red of flying blood and gore. Seconds later, what was around 10,000 men was only a red pool of blood, body parts, and chunks of ripped armor and a blonde man with a now red-stained trenchcoat standing in the middle.

The battle paused for a moment as both sides stared with wide eyes at the destruction and slaughter that one man did. With a resounding cheer, the Varden continued their assault as the Empire stepped back as they tried to regain their morale.

The trio that descended from the sky just stared at the single bare patch in their enemy's army that was still visible from where they stood. Once they landed, as Arya bounded off of Saphira and ran to where Naruto was last seen from above.

" _Let's go Saphira, we can't let Naruto do everything. Soon enough Nasuada and her division will be clashing with the Empire's army and Naruto will be severely limited at that time. Now Saphira,_ _shall we dance, friend of my heart?_ " Eragon asked as he unconsciously used the same words as Naruto.

" _We shall, little one._ "

The two then dove into the fight, melded together as never before. Neither could tell who it was that swept away ten of the soldiers while breathing out sapphire flames that incinerated another dozen nor who cut through an iron great-shield and its wielder. Regardless, the pair ravaged through the enemy lines while being flanked by both the dwarves and Nar Garzhvog's Kull.

Naruto caught another arrow from potentially piercing between the gap of Nasuada's helmet and armored breastplate. He sighed as he realized the worst threats to her life were not the thousands of swords and spears, but the annoying arrows that flew towards them from the sky. If even he even tried to attempt one of his jutsus, he would instead hit his allies as well as the enemies. As he continued guarding Nasuada, he noticed Arya running towards him while decapitating and sending green blasts of energy around her. He smiled at the sight, admiring at how she seemed to just fit on the battlefield. As he did so, he suddenly got the bad feeling that he felt earlier.

Arya ran through the men, killing anyone in her way, as she made a bee-line towards Naruto. As soon as she saw her blonde friend, she smiled as she dashed toward him. Then she saw his frown. She paused for a moment when all of a sudden a dragon's roar resounded throughout the entire Burning Plains.

And it wasn't Saphira's roar.

Notes

I think I forgot to mention that Naruto is not constantly wearing the Jonin armor underneath his white trenchcoat. What he wears is the outfit he wore during Boruto. And no, Boruto never happened in this story, so don't ask. However, he does constantly wear the trenchcoat.


	25. There is Another

Chapter 25

" _Are you serious? Why does this always happen? I swear, this Eragon is a trouble magnet just like am. Oh no, the dragons haven't hatched for anyone for a century and the only one to hatch recently was for Eragon. Oh wait, another one just happened to hatch, except for Galbatorix._ " Naruto ranted inside his mind as he watched a shining red dragon with a black armored rider appeared from the fuming clouds as a familiar sapphire dragon with her rider with a red sword flew up to meet it.

" _Well Kit, it would seem all heroes are just trouble magnet in the end. After all, without trouble, how do you even become a hero? Anyways, will you continue to guard this Nasuada, or will you go to Eragon?_ " Kurama thought back.

 _"Eragon is no longer an inexperienced boy or as weak as he was back in Farthen_ _Dûr. Even if he is not able to defeat this new rider, he should not completely lose to him either. If he gets into trouble, I'll use the last of my chakra reserves to leave as my Kage Bunshins as I can with Nasuada and then fly towards Eragon. However, I'm worried about the numerous negative auras that seemed to be fused with this new rider._ "

After getting over her initial shock, Arya ran the rest of the distance to stand next to Naruto as she parried and cut through another soldier. "Naruto, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Arya, but I'm worried for Eragon. With his pride as a rider, he might not use the Hiraishin dagger he has to summon me. If I feel his chakra getting weaker, I will summon an army of clones to guard Nasuada and immediately fly to Eragon." Naruto said back to Arya as he punched another man through his comrades.

When Arya showed a questioning look, Naruto immediately replied. "I won't interfere until the last moment. If I just kill this Rider, Eragon will not grow into the man he should be, and will instead think to only rely on me. Besides, when he eventually fights Galbatorix, this kind of experience will be invaluable to him."

Arya nodded as a large shadow loomed over them and Naruto's charge. As the everyone in the area looked up, they spotted a sizable boulder flying towards them from one of the enemy's catapults.

"Are you kidding me? First it's arrows, now it's giant rocks." Naruto complained as thought of the best course of action to prevent the debris from hitting the Varden around him.

As Arya wondered what to do without completely draining her energy, she saw Naruto's eyes start spinning in a hypnotic manner. She watched as when she heard Naruto whisper, " _Kamui_." Instantly, a swirling darkness appeared on the approaching boulder as it seemed to swirl out of existence.

Nasuada shot a look at her blonde protector before nodding her thanks, knowing that any other way would have resulted in injuring her men with the resulting rock shards if he had just broken it apart with his hands.

"Come on Arya, don't be distracted. Keep your focus and ask questions later." Naruto said as he shot through several hand signs and muttered, " _Suiton:_ _Suiryūdan no Jutsu!_ "

The surrounding men watched in fascination as a gigantic red water dragon, created from the surrounding blood, seemingly came to life with a roar and proceeded to tear through the men while leaving the Varden unharmed.

" _Hmmm, while I'm able to just draw water from the air, I'm not nearly as good at it as Tobirama Senju and would only be able to shoot off a few of them when I limit myself to high chunin reserves. But here, there's so much blood around here that there's no need to draw water from air when it's already on the ground! If I'm alone, I could just wind jutsus to annihilate my enemies, but in a battle like this and among my allies, I would just kill my allies as they get in the way. With water jutsus, at least I can control who I kill._ " Naruto thought and mentally filed the information away as he shot off a few more water dragons, quickly clearing the area when he suddenly saw what seemed like a shining red-blue meteor falling from the sky.

Eyes widened, Naruto quickly looked for Arya, Nasuada, and Murtagh before shooting off to them. When he found Nasuada and Murtagh, Naruto stopped before them.

"Nasuada, as Ajihad promised me, I have guarded you long enough and now Eragon and Saphira needs my help. Before you protest, I'll use the last of my energy to provide you backup. Make sure not to hit them, as they'll dispel the moment they're impaled." Naruto said as he thought, " _Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_ "

"Naruto, what are you talking…" Nasuada started before three thousand clones of Naruto suddenly appeared on the battlefield.

"Protect Nasuada and Murtagh even if it means your death!" Naruto shouted towards his clones.

The clones shouted back, "Yes Boss!" except for a few of them that just muttered, "But you're gonna dispel us anyways, so we're going to die anyways." These clones, Naruto just popped them out of existence before glaring at the rest of the clones as they immediately surrounded Nasuada and Murtagh, not allowing a single Empire soldier or projectile to enter their circle.

Just as Naruto jumped several feet off the ground to start flying, Arya charged out of a throng of men and jumped onto Naruto's front, wrapping her hands around his chest while doing the same with her legs around his waist.

The pair dropped a foot before Naruto compensated for the extra load as he automatically wrapped his arms around the additional weight that was currently holding on to him tightly. Shocked, he was about to protest when Arya simply glared at him, mad that he was about to fly off without her.

With a helpless sigh, Naruto merely held her more tightly and flew as fast as Saphira towards the distant duo.

Eragon stared at the opposite rider as they both dismounted from their dragons and onto a circular plateau. Saphira had teeth-marks on her throat and her hind legs, but the red dragon far deeper wounds on his neck, ripped wings, and foot that was almost completely severed when he recklessly jumped off of Saphira to score a hit.

" _You alright, Saphira?_ "

" _I'm alright, don't worry about me. His dragon is also completely out of energy, so just focus on that rider. Be careful though, something does not seem right._ " Saphira thought back just as the rider opposite them laid his hand on his dragon's ankle and muttered.

" _Waíse heill_."

The two watched in horror as the ankle knit itself completely back together. It wasn't the healing that startled them, but the fact that such a large wound was completed with so few words and did not seem to make him tired. After the process was finished, the red dragon moved its foot back and forth, clearly displaying a complete recovery.

The only comfort Eragon had was that the mysterious Rider was not Galbatorix, as his dragon was black and far larger than this red one as he strode to meet the Rider in the center of the plateau.

" _You sure you will not use the Hiraishin kunai that Naruto gave you? You are beyond tired from the previous hours of fighting and the only reason you can stand right is because of the energy from the belt of Beloth the Wise and Zar'roc. But even that is running out._ " Saphira thought before the oncoming duel started.

Eragon thought for a moment before answering. " _No, he is probably busy with guarding Nasuada and besides, this is a matter between Riders._ "

As he communicated with Saphira, the Rider in black charged forward with inhuman swiftness and attempted to land an overhead blow that would have cleaved Eragon in two from head to toe if Eragon did not manage to get Zar'roc up in time.

As he did, he felt for the first time the true strength behind his opponent. The moment their blades made contact, Eragon clenched his teeth as he had to divert the force from the blow rather than block it head-on.

" _Barzul, he's strong! His blows are just as strong as the elves' if not stronger. Just who is this man?_ " Eragon thought furiously as he blocked the flurry of blows coming his way while retreating towards one of the edges of the plateau.

Unwilling to continue fighting at his opponent's pace, Eragon caught one of his foe's slashes with Zar'roc and parried it to the side while stepping in, giving him a clear path for a stab to the chest. Realizing this, the enemy Rider hastily stepped back several steps, but lost his advantage in the fight as Eragon started a complex series of stabs and parries.

While Eragon was able to push his opponent back into the center of the plateau and even to the other side, he was unable to land a single blow. Instead, the only evidence of the fight on the enemy rider were merely scratches on his dark armor as none of Eragon's strikes were powerful or direct enough to penetrate it.

Eragon grew frantic as he felt the energy from his belt and sword begin to fade as even they were eventually drained. His opponent noticed this as he left his defensive stance and pushed Eragon back into the center of the plateau.

As the fight wore on, Zar'roc became heavier and heavier in his hand as he started to notice the small imperfections of the sword in his grip, imperfections that seemed to prevent him from utilizing his full power. Eragon ignored this as sweat poured off his sides and partially blinded him and his shoulders burned.

Eventually, Eragon made a mistake. He fell for a feint by his opponent as he went to protect his torso from being cleaved and instead was slashed across his left leg. Crying out, he fell as Zar'roc left his hands to impale itself into the rock below.

Staring at the sword that grew larger in his vision as it approached, Eragon's only thought was, " _Not like this! Not without seeing my opponent's face!_ "

Ignoring the pain of the deep cuts in his hands, Eragon gripped the blade of the sword in front of him, tight enough that his opponent was only able to slide it by an inch before completely stopping. As he did so, he brought the sword towards him and slammed his fist into the black-armored Rider's helmet, ripping the it off and finally seeing his face.

" _An elf? How is this possible? How could an elf possibly join Galbatorix and give his loyalty to the man that hunted his kind?_ " Eragon thought as he watched the elf paw at his face, noticing that his helmet was gone.

"Why? Why are you doing this for Galbatorix? How could you do this when Galbatorix tried to hunt your kind for all these years?!" Eragon yelled at the Rider, wanting answers as well as trying to buy time to get a second wind of energy.

As the elf refused to answer, Saphira suddenly flew back into the air and attempted to dive into the traitorous elf and mangle him with her claws, teeth, and wings.

"Rïsa!" commanded the unknown elf as he clutched the air.

Saphira suddenly paused in mid-air with a yelp as she suddenly could not move even a muscle as she was held in the air, without rising or falling. Immediately Eragon attempted to break the spell and shouted out while holding out his hand, "Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka!"

Seconds passed by as the elf merely looked at him impassively, as not even feeling Eragon's attempts at freedom. Involuntary tremors started to wrack Eragon as his body temperature began to fall as the spell eventually started to drain his very life to keep itself maintained.

Finally, after another two minutes, Eragon had to break off the spell in order to avoid falling unconscious and into the dark void of death.

"Now what? Will you kill me?" Eragon asked, not really expecting an answer as he laid there, panting and pale.

For the first time in the fight, the elf started to speak. "No, Master Galbatorix wants you two alive, especially her." the elven Rider said expressionlessly as he pointed to Saphira. "The last egg contains a male and my own dragon is a male. With her, he will be able to create his own Dragon Rider Order."

Eragon paled even further at the very idea of his other soul's half being used as a potential breeding machine, only there to produce more dragons for the mad man of a king. " _No, I cannot allow this to happen! Saphira, with all of our remaining energy, attack his mind and try to distract him long enough in order to flee. Now!_ "

Eragon and Saphira immediately poured the last of their energy into a mental battering ram, intent on breaking through the elf's mind and distracting him, or potentially killing him right there. Immediately, hundreds of voices seemed to fill their own minds as the presences behind them seemed to completely dissipate their mental attack without much effort.

Annoyed at his opponent's futile struggles, the elf walked towards Eragon with a raised sword.

"Although Master Galbatorix did say to bring you unharmed, I do not think that he will mind you missing a hand." The elf said as he brought his sword down in a stab, intent on severing Eragon's hand that contained the silvery mark of a Rider.

Eragon could only watch helplessly and in rage as the sword seemed to move in slow motion.

Soon enough, the sword stabbed down into flesh as a burst red blood filled his vision.

Notes

There has been some confusion of what exactly magic is when compared to chakra. In my story, the energies themselves are the same. However, the body that houses this energy, or chakra, acts completely different from the one used by the shinobi in the Elemental Nations. All the people, except the elves, of Alagaesia, while they do have chakra, do not have a chakra network that goes through their whole bodies. The only part of the chakra network they have is the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, which is in the mind. Only the elves have a whole chakra network inherently. When one becomes a Dragon Rider, if they are human, a whole chakra network is created while for the elves, the chakra pathways are bolstered and enlarged. This is the reason behind the extreme pain behind the awakening after a dragon touches his or her rider for the first time. However, the elves have not been able to create jutsus because first…they had no knowledge of actual jutsus and only just gained the ability to even use chakra around 1000 Alagaesian years. When the elves left, it was when Hagoromo started to spread ninshu throughout the world. It then took his genius son, Indra, to even think about developing ninjutsu. The main point is that they had a fully functional chakra network, but since they never trained it, over time it evolved to the point of unconsciously using Tsunade's strength, if very muted, as the chakra within the pathways were directed completely into the muscles. And when they used magic, it is clear that being able to use chakra in the beginning would give them a complete edge over any other race, hence a larger chakra pool behind the First Gate and thus much better magic potential. I hope you guys understand where I'm coming from with this.

Rïsa- Rise

Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka - Reduce the magic that holds Saphira and me!

Waíse heill – Be healed


	26. Eruption

Chapter 26

" _Did he cut off my hand yet? Why is there no pain?_ " Eragon thought behind closed eyes before noticing that he could still flex his hand. Immediately, more questions raced through his mind.

" _If my hand is not cut off, why was there a spray of blood?_ " Eragon thought as a second later his eyes widened before whipping up towards what should have been the elven Rider.

Instead, what he saw made him tremble with inexplicable rage as he saw a head of blonde hair hovering over him.

"Hey Eragon, glad to see you're alright. Seems like I'm still saving your ass from everything." Naruto chuckled as he coughed out another mouthful of blood as a sword point poked out where his lungs were.

"Naruto/ _Naruto_!" Cried several voices as Eragon, Arya, and Saphira witnessed the horrifying sight of a sword completely impaling their blonde friend. When Arya turned her rage-filled eyes towards the owner of the sword, she stumbled backwards as she whispered,

"Faolin? No…how could this be?"

"Is this the man that ruined Master Galbatorix's plans in Farthen Dûr? Seems like he's nothing much after all, just another weak human." The now identified former closest friend of Arya smirked as he tried to pull his sword out of the blonde, only to be shocked when he found it seemed to be as if Shurikan was stepping on it.

"Guys, the next part might be a little frightening to you, and I really don't want you to be afraid of me. But I will do what I must to protect my precious ones. Arya, I'm sorry about this, but your friend Faolin really needs a serious beatdown to wake up. Now… look away." Naruto said as he gripped the sword point from moving as his eyes turned red with cat-like black slits with nine swirling tomoe on concentric circles.

The friends looked on with awe and slight fear as they saw Naruto's wounds heal over the sword, smoking as it did, locking it in place as red bubbles started appearing over his body as a single tail and what looked like fox-ears formed from those bubbles.

"One-Tail Version 1 Cloak," Naruto said as he turned around towards the now uneasy elven Rider as his dragon came flying to reinforce him.

"So, when exactly were you planning on taking that toothpick of yours out of me?" Naruto bloodily grinned, showing his enlarged canines, as he reached out backwards towards the elf.

"Humph, a mere human who's not even a Rider trying to act tough? What a joke." Faoilin grunted as he finally managed to pull his sword out from the blonde's body. However, after looking at his sword, he widened his eyes in astonishment as he saw that his once spotless sword was pockmarked with small holes along its length.

"A mere human, eh? Hehehe, in that case, let this mere human show you what he can do. A piece of advice, I have never gone into this mode ever since arriving, so try not to die, or else Arya will probably hate me." Naruto laughed as he blurred from sight.

" _Finally Kit! Finally, you use my power on this continent. Now go, show our power to this weakling that dared to injure us!_ " Kurama laughed as for the first time he got to see what exactly this new mode could do, even if it was only the One-Tail Version 1 Cloak.

Faolin first donned on his helmet again and looked around wildly, trying to track the blonde, but failing miserably at the task. Soon a whisper came from behind him.

"First let's get rid of that pesky armor, shall we?" Naruto whispered before disappearing again and reappearing beneath the elf while unsealing arm wraps from the seals on his arms.

The moment he did, he kicked up at the elf's chin. As the armored elf flew up, Naruto jumped up after him to continue punching him and his armor apart. Once Faolin reached a certain height, Naruto above him and punched him back down to the ground. However, before Faolin could slam into the ground, Naruto solidified the air enough to kick off and almost instantly reappear below Faoilin again and punch him back up into the air. From there, he executed a series of angled punches as he pummeled Faolin as if he was a pinball.

Finally, as Faolin headed back towards the ground with his near shattered armor and heavily bruised internal organs, Naruto wrapped the arm wraps around the elf's midsection that pulled him back up before slamming a heavy palm that completely shattered wards and armor of the elven Rider into pieces.

" _Ura Renge!_ "

Naruto shouted as the now de-armored Faoilin finally slammed into the ground, creating an elf-shaped crater that was several feet deep as bits of armor fell from the sky.

Faolin unsteadily got up from the crater, trying to clear his eyes as he coughed out what appeared to be pints of blood and bits of internal organs when he suddenly saw the blonde dropping from the sky with his heel over his head. Before the blow could connect, the red dragon grabbed his Rider away from the point of impact before flying into the sky, attempting to escape the now horrifying blonde.

"Tsūtenkyaku!"

Everyone watched with wide eyes as an enormous crater opened up on the plateau at the point of impact. Then they felt the ground shudder when they realized that the plateau was about to collapse. Immediately, Eragon and Arya jumped onto Saphira and as she took off, the plateau shuddered for the last time before completely breaking apart.

Faolin had cold sweats dropping down his forehead. If did not matter if he was an elf or Dragon Rider, he would have been blown to pieces if that kick had landed on him. Immediately, he sent a thought towards his dragon, " _Fly away! As quickly and as far as you can from that monster!_ "

"Ho, you think you can just fly away from me? I think not!" Naruto yelled as his eyes started spinning.

"Bansho Ten'in!"

Faolin immediately felt an irresistible pull coming from the blonde as he and his dragon were dragged from the sky to the blonde.

Using the same spell while relying on his other sources of energy, Faolin shouted, "Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka!"

All of his energy was almost completely evaporated in a mere instant as his spell attempted to resist Naruto's pull, but instantly failed. Once the dragon rider pair came within his range, Naruto dodged the dragon's claw and tail strikes as he cocked his fist back before yelling out his deceased pink teammate's signature move.

"ŌKASHŌ!"

Naruto punched the dragon square in the chest and with screech of pain, the dragon and his rider shot down into the rubble of the destroyed plateau. As the dragon, now looking miserable with the blonde's fist imprint in its cracked chest scales, coughed out gallons of blood from its now severely damaged organs and attempted to still fly away, Naruto made a single Snake hand seal as another bubbly red tail popped out and said.

" _Mokuton: Mokuryū no Jutsu!_ "

Faolin and his dragon watched helplessly as gigantic wooden dragon with yellow glowing eyes erupted from the ground to completely wrap around the pair, preventing both of them from moving. Before he could be engulfed, Faolin attempted a fire spell and watched as an intense flame engulfed the wooden dragon, only to be horrified when all that was left was barely a burn mark as the flames died down. His dragon attempted to bite his way out, but whatever he bit only grew back instantly. Within seconds, the pair were cocooned within the dragon.

Faolin for the last time tried to use spells to break through the dragon when suddenly, he realized that his energy was being drained so rapidly that the largest flames he could conjure was the size of his thumbnail. Now terrified, he looked at the blonde that floated over him with his arms crossed and an aura of power far more powerful than Galbatorix's.

"Now, what to do with you?" Naruto mused out loud as he withdrew the Juubi's chakra. "Maybe cut off an arm like you wanted to do to Eragon? I could always regrow the arm later, so might as well." Naruto said as he raised his Hiraishin kunai with an extended wind chakra blade running through it.

Before he could bring it down, he felt a hand gently lay on top of his shoulder.

"Naruto, please, could you leave him to me?" Arya asked, almost begging her friend.

"Arya, I was not going to actually take off his arm and of course you can take him. I know just how important he is to you after all. However, while it may not have been noticeable compared to me, the amount of strength he has is not natural and it's as if there's some external power sources that he's drawing on. So be careful, the amount of magic he's able to wield is far more than even Oromis." Naruto said while warning Arya of the potential danger.

Arya nodded, shocked that her former friend, Faolin, was actually so powerful, yet was completely helpless against her closest friend.

"Arya, is that you? Get away from that monster! No human could possibly be that powerful! Please, help me! Were we not friends for decades?" Faolin begged Arya, only now noticing her once the blonde was out of his sight.

"Faolin, is that really you? Just what happened to you? I thought you were dead." Arya asked.

"Arya…it really is me, the same Faolin that walked with you for decades, the same immortal among other mortals. That night, I was indeed shot through the chest, but not directly in the heart. The arrow was an inch to the right of my heart. Durza found out about this and had me brought directly to Galbatorix." Faolin said.

Arya shook her head as she tried to find the reason behind his betrayal. "If you were alive, then why did you agree to help Galbatorix? Don't you remember the deaths of the Riders? What his Forsworn did to Oromis? That our king, MY FATHER, was killed by him? If not for that, we are elves Faolin! How could you bear to submit…?"

"Hah…agree?" Faolin started with a hint of madness. "You think I agreed to do this? You have no idea the amount of physical and mental pain that man put me through! After his torture, he extracted everything he could about the Varden, the elves, Oromis, and as much as he could about human's dragon. And after my dragon hatched for me, he forced both of us to swear in the ancient language! But the knowledge, oh the amount of knowledge he knew about magic that we elves have forgotten! Spells so powerful, the we elves dare not utter them, cowards that we were. Words in the ancient language that were lost until Galbatorix discovered them. Ways to manipulate energy... Secrets, terrible secrets, that can destroy your enemies and fulfill all your desires."

"You betrayed the elves! You…betrayed me. If you were completely regretful of what you had done, I would have pitied you. But now, it is obvious that you have been seduced by his knowledge and his power. I should have made sure you were truly gone from this world before running from Durza and his Urgals." Arya said bitterly, hating each word that passed through her lips. To give some measure of comfort, Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, providing the warmth she so desperately needed.

When Arya placed a grateful hand on his, the madness and hatred in Faolin's eyes deepened as he glared at the blonde.

"Human, get away from Arya! You do not deserve to even be in her presence, let alone touch her so casually! Arya, get away from that monster. There's no way that a mere human without a dragon could possibly be so powerful! Not even Galbatorix is so powerful!" Faolin ranted as Arya started glaring at her fellow elf.

"Silence, Faolin. You should have expected this when you betrayed us to serve Galbatorix! Even if you were forced to serve him in the ancient language, you could have found somebody to instead kill you rather remain a traitor to us!" Arya snarled as tears started to rim her eyes.

"You…are not the Faolin that I know. Naruto-vor…please…" Arya started before Naruto laid a finger on her lips.

"Do not say anything more. Leave it to me. Eragon! Take Arya with you back to the Varden." Naruto said as Eragon nodded and went to help the distraught elf onto Saphira before flying back to the Varden's camp. After confirming that they left, Naruto started walking towards the bound duo.

"What are you going to do? No, stop, stay away from me!" Faolin yelled as his dragon resumed its struggling as the blonde came closer.

"You attempted to not only capture one of my friends, but also forever cripple him. Not only that, but you deeply hurt my closest friend on this continent, so much that I fear she will never truly trust anyone but me. But don't worry, I won't prolong your suffering, but first some information." Naruto said as he outstretched his hand towards the elf.

"No…No!" Faolin screamed as the blonde muttered, " _Ningendo!_ "

As Naruto carefully read, rather than ripped, his soul, he found the reason why Faolin seemed to be so strong.

" _Huh, interesting. Unlike the Ra'zac, it's actually easier to read this guy's mind even with all of the ancient language oaths that I know Faolin swore to Galbatorix. Maybe it's because the elves actually have a chakra system and the Ra'zac didn't? For some reason, now that I think about it, the Ra'zac seemed to be…made rather made than grown. Going to have to find out more about that._ " Then Naruto came across the reason Faolin was so strong.

" _So that's the reason why this elf is so much stronger than Eragon, even if he was weakened. It was because of the_ _Eldunarí that the two have enslaved. Disgusting. It's just like what Madara did to the Bijuu. And this elf…he enjoyed the power he held over his own Eldunarí? Whatever he may have been has already been completely twisted, even worse than how Nagato was. There's…only a small chance of saving him. I'm sorry Arya, but I don't think I can save him. But I'll try to spare the dragon so that they don't go extinct._ "

Taking his hand off of Faolin, Naruto turned to face the red dragon's eyes. "Dragon! If you were given a choice, would you leave Faolin and forever swear your allegiance to Eragon when he recreates the Dragon Rider Order?"

The dragon stopped struggling for a moment, as if hesitating, before reaching with his mind to the blonde's. Allowing the connection, Naruto waited to hear his answer.

" _I…am unnamed. When Faolin got me to hatch, instead of showing love, he instead showed me hatred and rage to the point of refusing to name me. After being forced to swear in the ancient language, he only used me as a tool. And yet, I kept believing in him, hoping one day that he would change his mind. But after being connected for so long, I know now that he will never change as he only wants the world to suffer as he did under Galbatorix. As long you spill the blood of the traitor, I swear to obey Eragon should he recreate the Dragon Riders Order._ " The dragon said in a deep baritone.

Naruto contemplated for a moment before nodding at the dragon's words. " _So be it. I'm not sure if this will work, but this is the only way I can think of. Prepare yourself dragon…this may hurt._ "

As the dragon tensed, Naruto slapped a hand on its head and shouted, "Keiyaku…Fūin!"

Notes

Ura Renge – Hidden Lotus

Tsūtenkyaku – Heavenly Foot of Pain

Ōkashō – Cherry Blossom Impact

Mokuton: Mokuryū no Jutsu – Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu

Keiyaku Fūin – Contract Seal

Eldunarí - Heart of hearts


	27. Breaking Bonds

Chapter 27

A glow surrounded the Dragon Rider pair as the dragon roared in pain as Faolin shuddered uncontrollably, unable to even let out a scream.

Slowly, what seemed to resemble a complete chakra network started to float over the elf's head. Naruto looked in interest as the chakra network outline moved from Faolin to the dragon that was under his hand. He also noted how the silver glow that signified a Dragon Rider disappeared from his palm.

Finally, the glow surrounding the two disappeared as Faolin fainted clean away as the dragon heavily panted.

"So, how does it feel now, any lingering pain? Also are those ancient language oaths you swore to Galbatorix still in effect?" Naruto questioned, interested in the result.

" _Not is my link broken with Faolin, the oaths that I was forced to swear to Galbatorix seem to also have been broken! Whatever you did, it seems to have the side effect of breaking all oaths in the ancient language!_ " The dragon responded in an excited tone as he roared his joy at the freedom he now had.

Naruto smiled, glad that at least he made the correct decision and that his gamble paid off.

" _Kit, you do know that you could have killed them both if it failed? Like not just killed, but even their souls would have been shattered. Even your Rinnegan would not have been able to revive either of them if that happened._ " Kurama wryly said in his mind as Naruto paled a little.

Immediately, he put a hand on the dragon's snout and said in a grateful voice, "I'm just glad I didn't accidentally shatter your souls." as the dragon somehow sweat-dropped.

" _Now, as for those Eldunarí, they seem to be sealed in a pocket dimension that floats a tiny dot in space behind him. But apparently, unlike my Kamui dimension, anything that touches this dot is cleanly severed. Kurama, any suggestions? I don't want to leave these Eldunarí under his control, and they seem to have their own consciences from what I read in his memories._ "

" _Well, try using your Kamui first. If that doesn't work, take this elf to Oromis and Glaedr. They should know more about this kind of magic than we do._ " Kurama replied back.

Nodding, Naruto paused before activating his _Kamui_ at the tiny dot in space that he could barely see. Hesitating, he asked, " _Kurama…do you have anything resembling an Eldunari?_ "

A few moments passed by as Kurama searched within himself. " _I really do not know Kit, and if I did, I would tell you. However, from what we know, these Eldunarí are orbs within the dragons that can somehow house their conscience, as well as their chakra, which they know as magical power. From that, it would seem that these Eldunarí can house their very souls. The only thing that closely resembles this is the fruit of the Shinju that Kaguya stole and ate to gain her god-like powers. Being the new Juubi, there is a chance that one day I too will develop a fruit or something like that. If that happens, I will let you know._ "

" _Hehehe…a fox giving birth to a fruit? That's gotta be worse that having rabbit ears._ " Naruto laughed mentally as Kurama developed a giant tick mark and several giant veins that started pulsing on his forehead.

" _BRAT, I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN! THAT'S IT, IT'S BIJUUDAMA TIME. TAIJUU BIJUUDAMA!_ " Kurama roared in Naruto's mindscape as multiple giant Bijuudamas rocketed around his mindscape, giving the blonde a killer headache and stars in his eyes.

"Kurama, stop it, I'm sorry!" Naruto wailed out loud as the red dragon in front of him watched with wide eyes as he wondered what exactly was making the invincible blonde cry out in obvious pain.

As Kurama grew tired of destroying the place he lived in, Naruto was finally able to bring up another point. " _Kurama, with the oaths in the ancient language to Galbatorix broken, shouldn't this also apply to Faolin? Even if I didn't directly place the seal on him, due to their previous connection, it should have affected him to some extent._ "

" _We'll know when he wakes up, although that doesn't seem to be any time soon. Well, even if makes trouble, you can just tear him apart, although try not to do it in front of your future mate._ " Kurama chuckled as Naruto protested the last statement.

" _Whatever, let's try the Kamui._ " Naruto retorted as he his eyes began to spin. " _Kamui!_ " Soon after the activation of his dojutsu's power, a swirling darkness that looked like a doorway opened where the Eldunarí were. Inside was a large pile of luminescent orbs of varying sizes, shapes, and colors. But despite their beauty, Naruto staggered backwards as he felt a strong negative aura from them: despair, rage, madness, and hopelessness.

" _That monster, how could he do this? Although they may no longer have their bodies, they still have their own minds. He actually mentally broke each one just so he could utilize the power within them!_ " Naruto snarled as Kurama growled with rage, remembering what Obito and Madara did to him and his siblings.

" _Kit, I don't care about hiding our powers anymore! Although this battle only increased your physical strength and chakra density by a small amount, don't hold back against this mad man. Just take that bastard down, nobody deserves to live under that Madara wannabe!_ "

" _You got it Kurama._ " Naruto thought grimly as he gathered the Eldunarí into his _Kamui_ space before turning to the dragon.

"Hey, could you fly us back to the Varden? Don't worry about Faolin waking up, I'll keep him unconscious." Naruto asked as he pointed towards the Varden.

The dragon nodded his assent as the wooden dragon that was wrapped the two of them broke into pieces and sank into the ground. Kneeling down, he gave Naruto easy access to his back as the blonde tied Faolin up with some ninja wire from his seals, chucked him over his shoulder, and then jumped onto the dragon's back while channeling chakra into his feet to grip onto the slippery scales.

"Now go! To the Varden!" Naruto commanded as the trio lifted off and flew towards the camp.

Saphira shakily flew back to the Varden where Eragon and Arya saw the Empire's army retreating, a full half of it gone, mostly due to the blonde's clone army killing a full quarter of it before dispelling. When they landed, Arya immediately sprinted towards her tent to find comfort in the silence of her own space.

Eragon sighed as he walked towards Ajihad's command tent. Along the way, he managed to basically understand the relationship between Faolin, the black-armored rider, and Arya. It was apparent that the two once had a very close relationship before Durza ambushed them and brought the dying Faolin to Galbatorix, where he proceeded to break and make Faolin and his dragon swear in the ancient language.

As he entered the tent with Saphira waiting outside, Ajihad and the other commanders of the Varden immediately firing off questions. Who was the new Rider? How powerful was he? What happened to him? Eragon merely went to sit on a chair as he told them that Naruto was going to come as soon he settled matters at the once plateau. Reluctantly, the people in the tent let go of their questions as they waited for the blonde to arrive.

Soon, the people in the tent heard cries of alarm and fear as the characteristic sounds of dragon wings thumping the air reverberated throughout the camp. Saphira reared back on her legs, prepared to fight the red dragon when she saw something that made her widen her eyes.

As Eragon and the others left the tent, they witnessed the blonde standing on top of the red dragon with an elf slung over his shoulder. Once the dragon landed, Naruto jumped off its back and handed the elf over to Eragon before saying to the rest those gathered.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll go get Arya. She deserves to hear about what I'm about to say."

In the next instant, Naruto shunshin'd over to where he knew Arya would be: her tent.

Without waiting, Naruto pushed past the tent flap and entered to see Arya sitting on the opposite wall of the entrance. Seeing the tear trails, Naruto immediately went to Arya to sit next to her, trying to provide a friendly presence.

What he did not expect was for Arya to turn towards him the moment he sat down and wrap her arms around him, using him as a stabilizer as she trembled with her suppressed feelings. After his initial shock, he merely smiled and gently wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close as her tears mixed with the blood on his battle attire.

After a few moments, Arya unwrapped herself from the blonde, although still close enough for his arm stay around her.

"I am sorry displaying such a shameful side of me, Naruto-vor." Arya said as she turned her face away.

"It is not shameful to cry after finding out that your closest friend betrayed you and your very race to the worst person in Alagaesia's history. Trust me, I would know." Naruto said as he laid a hand over his heart.

"Arya, there is something I must tell you." Naruto said after waiting a moment. At his statement, Arya turned her head towards her friend, wondering what exactly he meant.

"After you and Eragon left, I had decided to kill Faolin, but allow his dragon to live, provided he swear in the ancient language to follow Eragon after being freed. However, before doing so, I tried a seal on the dragon. This seal was designed in the Elemental Nations to cut the connection between a human and his summon." Arya's eyes widened at the possible applications against Riders.

"In short, it was successful. I managed to cut the connection between Faolin and his dragon, with both of them intact and sane, although it seemed that the chakra pathways that the dragon gave to Faolin transferred back to it." Before Arya could ask anything, Naruto raised a hand towards her.

"But what came next completely stunned me. A side effect, at least for the dragon, was the severing of all oaths in the ancient language to Galbatorix. And this might have extended to Faolin. However, I was not able to find out as after the seal, he fainted clean away." Naruto said as Arya froze at the implications of what he was saying.

"Are you saying…that Faolin's oaths to Galbatorix have possibly been nullified? That he does not have to give his loyalty to him and that he could return to us? Naruto, you are not lying to me just make me feel better, right?" Arya asked as she grew a little defensive at the end.

Naruto sighed before saying in the ancient language, despite knowing that it held no hold over him, as found out much earlier when training with Arya. "I swear everything I have said is the truth."

Arya relaxed. She knew that the ancient language held no domain over her friend, but the fact that he tried to at least showed his sincerity. Soon she thought back to the time when the two discovered this startling fact.

 _Flashback_

 _"One more time!" Naruto called out as Arya attempted to bind the blonde with a spell._

 _Arya nodded before saying, "Malthinae!" If the spell worked, her friend would not be able to move a muscle._

 _However, like all the previous attempts, he just ignored her efforts and continued moving as if nothing happened._

 _"So far, you have tried to break my bones a dozen times, bind me at least 20 times, and have attempted to set fire to me a couple of times. If I had not known who you were, I would have thought that you were into some kinky things." Naruto teased as Arya blushed a bright red, wondering how she had ever accepted this blonde as her closest friend._

 _"Anyways, try to swear in the ancient language to never make fun of me for today." Arya said, trying to regain her composure as Naruto just looked at her in confusion. "Just do it."_

 _Naruto shrugged before swearing to do so in the ancient language. After a few moments, Naruto looked at Arya, who intensely staring at him, before cheekily saying, "Ne, Arya, if you keep staring at me, I'm going to blush. How are you going to take responsibility?"_

 _Arya stared at the blonde, not knowing what to say or do for a few seconds. Eventually she sighed as she accepted the fact that Naruto was just an enigma with too much power._

 _"It would seem that the ancient language is unable to bind you at all, even with you saying the words. Do you have any ideas why that is so?" Arya asked._

 _Naruto thought for a moment before saying the theory that was in his mind. "Perhaps it's because unlike the races in Alagaesia, I have an extremely dense chakra that is constantly running throughout my entire body. Whenever you direct a spell at me using the ancient language, what would affect a regular body would not be able to do anything to mine. Essentially, my chakra is like an impenetrable ward that I just naturally have. As for the oaths in the ancient language, they are basically seals that attempt to bind the person that said them. But with my immense chakra reserves, the ancient language is simply unable to bind me at all, hence making any oaths in the ancient language useless. In fact, one day you too will be unaffected by the ancient language due to my training."_

 _Arya stared at the blonde with wide eyes, before saying with a smirk. "So there appears to be a brain in that head of yours after all. Although you still fight like a barbarian."_

 _Naruto pouted as he just remarked, "I only fight like a barbarian because there hasn't been anybody powerful enough to force me to use my own fighting styles. You're just jealous of me."_

 _Arya uncharacteristically pouted back, unable to form a response to the now widely grinning blonde._

 _Flashback End_

"Naruto, I do not know what to say. You have already done so much for me, from listening to my most painful memory, training me in chakra, and now you even decided to spare Faolin and even potentially returned him to me and my kind. Just how can I begin to repay you?" Arya asked as she tightly held onto Naruto's hand that was around her waist.

"Arya, are we not friends? Friends do not _owe_ each other. It is expected to do everything you can for your friend, and that is exactly what I have done. Do not even think about repaying me, or else you will be insulting me. Understood?" Naruto said sternly, although the both of them knew that his words had no bite behind them.

Arya nodded at his words, although thinking to herself of what she could do for her closest friend. " _Naruto, you have done far more of what a friend would do for another. So no matter, what I will find a way to repay you, no matter how long it takes._ "

"Well, it's time to tell the others of what happened on the plateau. Let's go." Naruto said as he started to stand only for Arya to pull him down abruptly and hug him.

"Could we stay like this, for just a little while?" Arya asked with a red face, fearing that she was asking for too much as only a friend.

"Alright, just for a little while." Naruto said as he slid back down to the ground with fluttering eyelids as the events of the day started to catch up to him.

"…Thank you, Naruto-vor." Arya whispered as she too slowly closed her eyes as the two slipped away from the land of conscious.

Far away from the Burning Plains and inside a large black castle and down a long hallway sat a man sitting on a golden throne. With gritted teeth and bulging veins on his forehead, Galbatorix thought back to the sense of loss he felt when the bonds between him and his puppet Rider and dragon broke apart.

" _Who did this? No…just who COULD do this? Certainly not the elves, they are far too weak and ignorant of the intricacies of the ancient language. Certainly not this Eragon and Saphira, they are even weaker than the elves."_ Galbatorix thought back to the last image he saw from Faolin's eyes, which was due to a spell, before the connection between him and Faolin cut off.

 _"No, it could only be the mysterious blonde that I saw from that incompetent elf's eyes. From reports, this blonde also showed up in the Battle of Farthen_ _Dûr. This…Naruto. But just how powerful is he? Too many questions, and not enough answers. Whatever, even without the true name of the ancient language, there are none in this land that can match me. Maybe it's time to stop being passive in this war. It's time for the world to feel the wrath and power of the most powerful being in this world. Me, Galbatorix!_ " Galbatorix thought as he imagined torturing the blonde for all he knew and then finally tearing him apart in front of the Varden.

Behind him, a black mountain stirred as it felt his master's mental state. Slowly, an eye as tall as a man opened, showing within its depths rage and hatred towards the world.

It was time for Galbatorix and Shurikan to show themselves to the world once more.

Notes

Bijuudama – Tailed-Beast Bomb

Taijuu Bijuudama – Multiple Tailed-Beast Bombs


	28. Oops

Chapter 28

Eragon tried to calm the quickly-growing impatient leader and commanders of the Varden as they started to wonder where the blonde was. Soon, King Hrothgar joined them as he too walked into the tent to discuss what happened. Finally, in order to keep order, Ajihad sighed and decided to have Eragon tell them as much as could of what happened

"Everyone, while we wait for Naruto and Arya to come, let's have Eragon begin to tell us what happened after the new Rider appeared." Ajihad said as he nodded to Eragon.

Eragon thought for a moment before deciding to keep his friend's powers a secret until the blonde decided to tell them.

"As Saphira and I destroyed another catapult, we suddenly felt a mental attack that was far stronger than any of the spell casters of Empire could do. But it was strange, it felt like there were multiple components to the attack rather than just one or two. And they didn't feel like human, or even elven minds even." Eragon said as the others wondered just what could have happened.

"Looking up, we saw a red dragon that was only slightly smaller than Saphira and on its back was a black-armored Rider." As the others gasped in horror, Eragon continued. "Although I was already tired from the previous fights, I could still tell that the Rider and his dragon were strong, very strong. The best we could do was force a stalemate in the air and force the duel onto the ground." At this point Eragon closed his eyes as he remembered his failure in defeating the Rider.

"To be honest, if I were at full strength and had not consumed most of my energy in the battle, I could have definitely defeated him. But as it were, the both of us were about even in pure swordsmanship. But with the energy toll from before, I was forced backward and eventually defeated." Eragon said as the others looked back at him as they wondered how he could stand in front of them if the situation was that bad.

"Before I was defeated, I was disarmed. As his sword came towards me, I drew the last of my energy, grabbed his sword, and forced his helmet off of his head. To our shock…it was an elf. An elf had betrayed his own race and the Varden and had become a Dragon Rider under Galbatorix's command." Eragon waited as the others in the tent burst out in shock and horror, not willing to believe that an elf of all races betrayed them to the mad king.

"Then I attempted one last mental attack with Saphira, but was once again by what seemed to be a cacophony of maddened voices. Annoyed at our efforts, the elven Rider raised his sword and attempted to stab through my arm and cripple me before bringing us to Galbatorix. Then it happened." Eragon said as he looked away, ashamed to have needed the blonde to endure such pain just to save his arm.

"What happened Eragon? It is obvious that the elf failed in his attack as we can see that both of your arms are still attached." Ajihad remarked as he started to connect the dots.

"The second before the elf struck, Naruto suddenly appeared before me and took the attack through his lung. I think it would be better if Naruto told you what happened afterwards, as it is not my place to tell you." Eragon informed them as everyone just stared at him, unable to connect their mental image of the blonde being stabbed through the lung to the blonde that appeared to be normal when he walked into the tent.

Once he finished his part, Eragon drew the Hiraishin kuani that he always kept at his side and threw it on the floor. After a few minutes passed, Eragon just rolled his eyes, realizing that the blonde must have fallen asleep.

"Ajihad, it's clear Naruto is asleep somewhere. Wait a moment, I'll go get him." Eragon sighed as Ajihad smiled, knowing the…interesting personality Naruto had.

As Eragon left the tent and climbed on Saphira, Saphira thought to Eragon through their link.

" _Eragon…how should we face Naruto now? Although he saved you from being crippled and even got stabbed through for his troubles, the power he showed was simply terrifying and he was even able to regenerate almost instantly from a mortal wound._ "

" _Saphira, I don't think anything has changed between us and Naruto. Remember that when he showed his strength to us, he mentioned that he was willing to appear a monster just to protect his precious ones…us. Anyways, were able to find out about anything from the red dragon? Something about it seemed…different._ " Eragon thought back as he directed Saphira towards Arya's tent.

" _All I got from him was that Naruto somehow broke the connection between him and his Rider. However, he did say that if things went bad, both of their souls would have been shattered. The last thing he said before refusing to say anything more was that he swore to Naruto in the ancient language to be loyal to you, Little One._ " Saphira thought, completely surprising Eragon with everything she just told him.

" _I see why you are so cautious. The fact that he could break the bond between a Rider and his dragon is terrifying. But still, that does not change the reason why he did what he did. And besides, with the connection to his Rider broken, there is a chance that he could potentially form a new one with someone else. And with his loyalty towards us, it's a step in the right direction to reestablish the Dragon Rider Order._ " Eragon comforted Saphira who grunted her acceptance.

Soon enough, the pair stood right outside of Arya's tent. With his sensitive elf-like ears, Eragon heard Naruto's snoring, which he got used to during their stay in Ellesméra, but was surprised to also hear another light breathing. Opening the tent, he quickly saw the source of it.

" _Saphira…this may be our chance!_ " Eragon thought excitedly.

" _Chance? What do you mean Little…oh, I see. Don't worry Eragon, I have your back!_ " Saphira thought back as she realized what her closest partnet meant when she too saw how entangled the pair of Naruto and Arya were as they peacefully slept.

" _Remember what Master Oromis told me about fairths? It's starts out as a slate with intense colors which is then molded with magic to depict an extremely accurate picture of what the user sees in his or her mind. I still have a fairth in one of my packs on your back…don't ask why._ " Eragon said in his mind as Saphira cocked her head to one side, wondering why in the ancient language her Rider would have an untouched fairth.

Eragon chuckled as he brought the fairth out and concentrated on the scene before him. Usually, it could take hours if not days to develop a fairth, but that was if one was working purely from memory. However, when the subject in question was right in front of his eyes, it took mere minutes for a realistic picture of a couple that spoke volumes of their closeness to appear.

One the fairth was complete, Eragon took it and placed in front of the sleeping duo, ran out of the tent, and had Saphira roar out to wake Naruto and Arya up.

Arya woke up with a start as a dragon's roar rang out close by. However, as she started to stand up, she realized just how entangled she was with Naruto and vice versa. Heavily blushing, she thanked whatever higher being there was…except Naruto, he didn't count…that he was still asleep, otherwise she knew that he would be teasing her for the next week about this.

As she attempted to gently,albeit somewhat reluctantly, leave her friend's embrace, Naruto's arms immediately tightened around her, preventing her from leaving and further flustering her.

" _Damnit Naruto, why do you have to be so much stronger than the elves? At least nobody is here to see this…"_ Arya thought until her eyes landed on the complete fairth that depicted, what was obviously them, a couple in an embrace that would make Jiraiya proud.

Soon enough, Arya immediately poured everything into the task of slipping away from Naruto before finally succeeding in doing so by making use of the great flexibility that the elves were known for. Grabbing the fairth, she lifted it above her head and was about to smash it into the ground when she slowly lowered her arm to look at it one more time.

" _Only one person in this camp knows how to make a fairth other than me…and that is Eragon. He has really improved to be able to capture so many details inside of it. To break it would be an insult to him and be a waste. Yes, that's right, I am just keeping this because I don't want Eragon to feel insulted that I broke it._ " Arya thought as she stored the fairth away from prying eyes.

Feeling the space around her tent, she noticed that both Eragon and Saphira were waiting outside. " _It would seem that Ajihad and the others want to know what happened at the plateau._ " Arya pieced together as she went to sit by Naruto's side.

Leaning down, she whispered, "Naruto, there's free ramen right outside the tent."

Almost immediately, the blonde awakened with frantic eyes as he looked for the ramen that was promised to him. When he did not see any and instead only saw Arya with a small case of bed hair, he pouted before pointing towards her.

"Arya, how could you do this to me? I thought we were best friends! By the way, nice bed hair." Naruto retaliated as Arya ran her hand through her hair to discover that her friend was right. Upon finding out about this, she immediately said a small spell that smoothed and slightly straightened out her hair into the glossy shine with small whirls at the end that he knew so well.

Naruto chuckled as watched her actions, finding them rather cute for a supposedly impassive elf.

Hearing the blonde's chuckles, Arya slightly glared at him, which elicited more laughter. Knowing that there was nothing she could do, she just pouted and turned her head away while sporting a light blush.

" _Why do I almost always turn red around him? I do care about him, but only as a friend! But when I saw that sword through his chest, I felt like my world ended. Not even the revelation that Faolin was still alive shocked me as much. And then when he called Naruto a monster?_ " Arya shuddered in silent anger as she thought about that moment.

"Well Arya, I think those two outside have waited long enough for us. Let's go." Naruto said as he stretched a hand out to her.

Looking at the hand, Arya nodded and then accepted the help up. However, before she stood, she remembered the question she wanted to ask.

Grabbing his hand, Arya held it in place as Naruto turned around in slight confusion. "Naruto, what was that power at the plateau? Is that monster fox still trying to cause trouble? I thought you said that he was your friend." Arya asked, worried that her friend was trying to hide his suffering from her. Naruto realized what she was talking about and smiled.

"No Arya, nothing is wrong. It is true that that power was from the fuzzball inside of me, but instead of forcibly taking the power away from him, he shares it with me if I have dire need for it or when he agrees to give it. Also, don't call him monster fox; his name is Kurama and is someone that would trust my very soul with. So don't worry, I'm not trying to hide anything from you. All you need to do is ask." Naruto said as Arya looked into his eyes, searching for any falsehood. Finding none, she nodded and stood up with his help.

As she stood up, she thought, " _Perhaps I do see him as more than just a friend. But after seeing how Faolin betrayed me and the elves, I need more time to search my feelings and make sure that whatever I am feeling is for real._ "

Eragon turned around as he heard the tent flap open, but then flinched when he saw the glare that Arya was sending his way.

" _Saphira, I think I made a mistake._ "

" _Little One, I think you are right. Don't worry, should you die before the end of today, I will make sure that my last act will doing to you as I did to Brom._ " Saphira smirked as she imagined the suffering her Rider might go through at the hands of an embarrassed elf-maiden.

Soon, they arrived at the commander's tent. When they entered, the people in the tent quieted as they carefully looked at Naruto and noticed the tears in his clothes that corresponded to the injury that Eragon talked about.

Naruto nodded to all of them before saying, "Ajihad, King Hrothgar, could we talk in private? The following information is extremely sensitive and must not be allowed out of this tent."

As the other commanders of the Varden protested, Ajihad looked at Hrothgar before nodding. "Fine, everyone, out of the tent. Now!" The leader of the Varden commanded as the others hesitated before ultimately following the order.

Once they left, Naruto nodded towards Arya who immediately said, " _Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya_."

Once the sounds inside of the tent were sealed, Naruto began.


	29. Discovery

Chapter 29

"I assume that Eragon told you about me arriving in time to save him from getting crippled?" Naruto started, having already noted the pointed eyes towards particular rips in his clothing.

When Ajihad and Hrothgar nodded, Naruto started again. "Then Eragon has not told you about what happened afterwards on the plateau."

After the two nodded again, Naruto said, "Then for now, all you have to know is that I defeated both the dragon and his rider. As for his identity," Naruto looked at Arya before she nodded, "it was Faolin."

Silence hung for but a moment in the tent, before Ajihad and Hrothgar whirled their heads at Arya, seeking answers.

"Is this true Arya? Was it really Faolin, your fellow Egg-Carrier companion?" Ajihad demanded, wondering how he was alive when Arya reported him as dead.

"It is true. Faolin is still alive, and is currently on the red dragon outside." Arya answered, having no need to hide anything.

Before they could say anything, Naruto continued. "How I defeated him is not something you need to know for now. Just know that both Eragon and Arya still trust me despite seeing my power. However, what you should know is that I was able to sever the bond between Faolin and his dragon. However, there was an unintended side effect. All of the oaths in ancient language that bound the two to Galbatorix were also severed."

Astonishment appeared on everyone's face, other than Arya since the blonde already told her during their meeting.

Before Ajihad could say anything, Hrothgar butted in to ask with furrowed eyebrows.

"Are you saying that you are able to break oaths made in the ancient language and can even nullify one of the strongest bonds made between two beings, the bond between the dragons and their riders?"

When Naruto nodded, Hrothgar narrowed his eyes as he thought about the implications of this. As he did, Ajihad regained his senses and turned to address the blonde.

"Then are you able to do the same for Galbatorix and his dragon, Shurikan? And could you break other oaths made in the ancient language from the leaders and spies that we will capture during this war?"

Naruto thought about it before answering. "Theoretically, it is possible to apply it to other situations. However, if it fails, then the person's soul will be destroyed. Don't underestimate what I just said. Dying is just your soul leaving your mortal body. But if your soul itself is destroyed…then in whatever afterlife you guys believe, you will not be able to go there. Your very existence will be wiped from the world and no amount of energy will be able to piece you back together. The only reason I did this to Faolin and his dragon is because I myself did not think much of the potential consequences." Naruto added, making everyone deadpan at the blonde.

"I see. Nobody truly deserves having their souls destroyed, except for maybe Galbatorix." Ajihad conceded to Naruto.

"Moving on, I also made the dragon outside swear loyalty to Eragon in the ancient language. Also, there is the possibility of him choosing another Rider. When I broke their bond, a faint outline floated out of Faolin and back into the dragon, while his gedwëy ignasia disappeared." Naruto informed as everyone in the room gasped, overjoyed at the possibility of another friendly Dragon Rider.

Just as they were about to ask questions, Naruto said, "As for Faolin, when I read his memories, I truly wanted to kill him. I saw a broken elf that was further twisted by Galbatorix's words and torture. I also witnessed the terrible things he did to gain more power. But at the same time, I remembered what Arya here told me, how he was a good man, a trustworthy companion, and somebody that was willing to give his life for his comrades."

Naruto looked around the room and saw everyone considering his words, but still condemning the elf, except for Arya who spared a thankful glance at her friend.

"I think you should allow Faolin to live. Make him swear all you want in the ancient language, but give him a second chance to redeem himself. Now that he is free from Galbatorix, maybe he can be saved. And if he can't, he only has the strength of an ordinary elf is no longer a match for Eragon, Arya, or me." Naruto told the others, especially at Ajihad and Hrothgar, knowing that in the end, it was up to them.

" _I could just spirit Faolin away, but then that could turn Ajihad and Hrothgar hostile to me. While this normally wouldn't be a problem given how powerful I am, it could possibly lead Eragon and Arya to distrusting them and creating a major fracture in the Varden. In the end, this is not my land or my home and most likely I will eventually leave it. Perhaps I might one day return, but should that day ever come, it would be far in the future and after everyone, except the elves, have forgotten me. So the hero Alagaesia needs is not some blonde foreigner, but the Dragon Rider Eragon and his dragon Saphira._ " Naruto thought as he waited for their answer.

After a few moments, Ajihad came to a decision with Hrothgar grumbling about it.

"After taking in Faolin's circumstances and his contributions to the Varden and all of Alagaesia, we agree that he should be given a second chance. In the end, he did not do much damage to the Varden and it was you after all that defeated him." Ajihad decided as Naruto nodded his thanks.

"Then I will bring him to the elves as I have some questions for them that must be answered." Naruto said as he looked to Arya and Eragon.

Gesturing at them to follow him, Naruto walked out of the tent and onto the red dragon's back. With hardly a pause, the tent flap opened again as both Arya and Eragon strode out of the tent and onto Saphira's back, figuring out that Naruto wanted to leave for the elves for whatever business he had with them.

As they followed Naruto, who led them towards the collapsed plateau where so much happened, they began to wonder what exactly the blonde wanted to know, until the person in question broke the silence.

"I may have found the source of Galbatorix's strength." Naruto said.

Disbelief colored their faces until Naruto began again.

"However, we need to meet Oromis regarding this, because if this is true, then Eragon won't be able to stand against Galbatorix alone. There is also the possibility of him giving this power to other people under his command, which could be devastating to the Varden and the elves if they are caught off guard." Naruto said grimly as the three paled.

"So how are we getting to Oromis? From what I know of your Hiraishin, you need a marker to teleport to your location." Eragon said, still in awe of the concept of teleportation.

"Weellll…I do have another way to teleport, but I just haven't needed to use it since everything could be done with the Hiraishin." Naruto said as the others rolled their eyes thinking, of course he has another method, why wouldn't he? "It's actually something you have all seen before, the _Kamui_. As long I have a strong mental picture of where I want to go, I can go there. Having been to Oromis's cabin plenty of times, I have easily memorized the location and its surroundings."

"Is there anything else your _Kamui_ can do? Because it seems like it can do everything." Eragon asked with another eye roll.

"Yes actually. And that…is a secret." Naruto cheekily said with a "v" victory sign, which made the others deadpan and develop large, pulsing tick marks on their foreheads.

Before the others could attempt to kill him, Naruto hurriedly switched his eyes to the Rinne-Sharingan and sucked everyone into his _Kamui_ before teleporting to Oromis's cabin.

As Oromi polished his sword, _Naegling_ and burnished his armor, he thought to Glaedr.

" _Have you gotten used to your recovered leg Glaedr?"_

A rumbling voice echoed back across the link. " _Of course Oromis. You worry too much. Have you tested your body enough?_ "

" _Yes I have. And what was that about worrying too much?_ " Oromis teased back as the only answer he got was a grunt in annoyance before smiling back.

" _It is good that you have finally started to enjoy life more. After being crippled, the both of us became a mere a shell of our former selves, including our personalities. After being healed by Naruto-finiarel, we are regaining, what humans would call it, our humanity._ " Glaedr thought as Oromis smiled.

" _Yes, we owe a great debt to Naruto-finiarel. Not just in healing us, but also giving our life and purpose back._ " Oromis thought when he suddenly saw a black swirl appear in front of him.

The Dragon Rider pair tensed and readied for battle as Oromis activated the various wards around him and Glaedr while the golden dragon readied the fire that was ever present in his gut. Soon, they relaxed as they saw who appeared as they saw Naruto swirl into existence.

"Yo!" Naruto greeted casually, unaware about how he just broke through the barriers that prevented anything that resembled space manipulation.

"Greetings Naruto-finiarel. That swirling move did not resemble the Hiraishin that Eragon-finiarel described. Another way of teleportation? And how did the battle go? Is Eragon alright? Did Galbatorix appear?" Oromis greeted back as he started to ask the blonde various questions.

"Hold on and calm down. I thought you were supposed to be the wisest and most patient of the elves. What happened to that?" Naruto teased as Oromis chuckled, thinking of how different he and Glaedr had become after being treated.

Naruto merely chuckled as he continued. "Eragon and Saphira are completely fine, as are Ajihad and Arya. However, something serious happened at the Burning Plains, something unexpected. Another Rider appeared." Oromis widened his eyes, trying to deduce answers from the blonde's words before relaxing as he knew it could not have been Galbatorix.

"Before going further, let me get the rest out so we can all discuss this, as it pertains to all of us." Naruto said as Oromis nodded, knowing what he meant from Eragon's words.

Two dragons, two elves, and a human that looked like an elf swirled into existence as Naruto let them out of his Kamui dimension. Oromis and Glaedr tensed when they saw the foreign dragon until they realized that he was unhostile. And then they saw a familiar looking elf.

As the rest of the group regained their bearings, Naruto started where he left off.

"As you can see, we did not meet Galbatorix. However, we found that Faolin, former Egg-Carrier companion of Arya, was the new Dragon Rider under Galbatorix." Before Oromis or Glaedr could interrupt, and he could tell from the glare coming from the dragon that they intended to, Naruto raised a palm at them to stall further questions.

"However, I was able to sever the oaths made in the ancient language between the dragon and Galbatorix, as well as the Dragon Rider bond they had between them. Until Faolin regains conscience, we won't know if the same applies to him."

Oromis almost choked while Glaedr snorted a column of smoke in disbelief at the blonde's words. They tried to wrap their heads around one of the fundamental truths that existed in Alagaesia: that a Rider's bond with his dragon was unbreakable and that oaths made in the ancient language were the same, except when certain loopholes could be exploited.

"But if the same did happen to Faolin, I request that he stay here to recuperate and see if he will stay loyal to Galbatorix, or if he will take this chance to change for the better." Naruto said as Oromis looked thoughtful, knowing that it was not truly Faolin's fault for falling to Galbatorix. He knew just how persuasive the mad king could be when he wanted to. After all, he underwent the same torture when he was first captured by the Forsworn.

"On behalf of the elves, we accept your proposition. Faolin will stay in Ellesméra after swearing in the ancient language to never cause harm to a fellow elf and to never leave the confines of the Du Weldenvarden. Should he swear, he will be treated once again as an equal, although he will have to work hard to truly earn the trust he lost. If he does change for the better by the end of a decade, then he will be allowed to continue to stay and live out his life here. But should he ever think of betraying us again, he will be executed and his name forgotten. So shall it be in my name, Oromis, Dragon Rider of Glaedr, and last scion of House Thrándurin." Oromis declared in the ancient language as a pulse seemed to ring out in the clearing.

"Good, now that that's done, I have something extremely important to say." Naruto sighed as he looked into everyone's eyes, especially Oromis's and Glaedr's.

"I think I found the source of Galbatorix's power. The Eldunari."

Notes

Gedwëy ignasia – Shining palm

Naegling – Nail

I apologize for not posting recently. I've been busy with real life stuff.


	30. Startling Origins

Chapter 30

After the Naruto uttered those words, Oromis and Glaedr stood up straighter. While they were still silent, their tensed shoulders and gripped fists belied their anger. Eragon, Saphira, and Arya looked between the three, wondering what exactly could have moved the normally kind and serene elf so easily.

Noting the others' confusion, Naruto gestured towards the elven Dragon Rider pair. "It would seem that the matter of the Eldunari is a secret one: a knowledge that is not widely spread, if at all. Oromis, considering how Eragon was defeated through the use of these Eldunari, I think you should tell us all more about them and why Galbatorix has so many."

Oromis looked across the clearing in front of his house, suddenly feeling old as he observed that none in front of him were even alive during the fall of the Riders, except for Arya and even then she was only a child. Slumping his shoulders, Oromis looked to Eragon with sad eyes.

"Eragon-finiarel, what I am about to tell you is one of the greatest secrets to the Riders, and known only to us. The Eldunari, or the heart or hearts, is a gem-like organ that all dragons have. Normally, when a dragon dies, its Eldunari dissolves along with the body. However, a dragon is able to disgorge its Eldunari and place its consciousness, or in it before death. Once it does, the dragon's mind could live on forever in its Eldunari." Oromis began as he turned to lean on Glaedr while the listeners glanced at each other before settling their gazes on the elder elf again.

"But it is what comes after the dragon's death that made Galbatorix seek out the Eldunari so desperately. Should a dragon that disgorged their Eldunari die, the spare energy it had before death would be transferred to its Eldunari. And then after a period of 5-7 years, the amount of energy the dragon is able to store increases to astounding proportions. Any one jewel on the Belt of Beloth the Wise cannot come close to storing as much energy as an Eldunari can." When Oromis temporarily stopped, Eragon started to think of the number of Eldunari that Galbatorix must have after he destroyed the Dragon Riders. As he did, his confidence in defeating the mad king decreased more and more until everyone in the clearing could feel it.

When Oromis saw this, he subtly shook his head and sighed. " _I knew it Glaedr. He's still not ready for this._ "

" _You underestimate him Oromis. Did you forget that this is the boy, no…man, that crossed over the entirety of Alagaesia, escaped the Empire, found the Varden, came here, and fought in two battles of massive proportions? And if that is not enough, remember exactly who his companions are._ " Glaedr rumbled back as he twitched his wings towards the two people around Eragon.

" _As usual, you are right, old friend. There is still Naruto and as long he is there, Eragon should have nothing to worry about. From what I have felt, there has never been a Rider or dragon as powerful as him, and even then I still don't have an accurate grasp on his power._ "

As the elven Dragon Rider pair conversed with each other, Saphira attempted to calm her Rider. " _Little One…_ " Saphira thought out, not knowing how to comfort her Rider for the first time since their bond.

" _Saphira, these Eldunari, just how are we supposed to defeat Galbatorix if we assume that he has possibly thousands of them to draw energy out of? Although Master Oromis has not mentioned it yet, we can assume that the older a dragon is, the more energy its Eldunari is eventually able to contain. And Dragon Rider Order had many elder dragon rider pairs. So just how…?_ " Eragon thought back as his teeth and hands clenched as he started to tremble from despair and hopelessness.

Just as he was about succumb to despair, a pair of warm and comforting hands landed on each of his shoulders. Turning around, Eragon realized that both Arya and Naruto had moved from their locations to stand next to him and had each laid a hand on him.

"Eragon, I'm sad that you haven't considered me in the equation. Did you really believe that you and Saphira were truly in this alone?" Naruto said, although he could still see doubt and now worry for him appearing in Eragon's eyes. "Humph, you are far too young to even begin to worry about me. Do you remember the power I used at the Burning Plains?" The blond asked as Eragon merely nodded, remembering the bubbly red aura aura that surrounded his friend and the sheer power he showed that rendered the Dragon Rider pair completely helpless despite the help of the Eldunari.

"That was not even close to my full power. If I wanted to…I could probably sink this continent within a day, even with all of my seals."

At this statement, the clearing went quiet, even the birds and wind stopped, as everyone stared at Naruto in shock, unable to even comprehend the very concept of destroying Alagaesia: not just the surface, but the entire continent. It was a power beyond their wildest imagination.

The very air seemed to become solid as a heavy weight settled on their bodies. Their very muscles and nerves automatically tensed at what could have been perceived as a threat until their minds started to work out that it was a friend and ally that said the words. Slowly, the tension disappeared from the air as the ones in the clearing relaxed their stances.

" _That's right Little One. There's still Naruto and his seemingly limitless power. Even without any words or signs, the wound through his lung just regenerated, as if the energy just had nowhere else to go. Know this Eragon, you are not alone in this fight. Our own masters are already completely healed, thanks to Naruto, and the Varden and elves will help us when we need them._ " Saphira thought out as she rubbed her leathery snout on Eragon's forehead.

" _Stop it Saphira, that tickles!"_ Eragon chuckled as he tried to push her snout away. When he realized that he couldn't, he just gave up and sighed.

" _I understand Saphira. When I heard how Galbatorix seemed to possess a source of virtually unlimited power, I panicked. I forgot that I had people that will stand by me no matter what and that one of them is actually more powerful than Galbatorix himself._ "

"Eragon, although my power may be considered insignificant compared to either Galbatorix's or Naruto's, I will gladly lend you it in the coming fights. Like Naruto-vor said, you are not alone in this fight. To believe so would be an insult to us who consider you and Saphira as friends." Arya said as she tightly gripped the opposite shoulder Naruto was holding.

"Arya…are you still mad about that fairth I made? Because I swear it was only to…" Eragon began until he swore he heard crack from his shoulder.

"Eragon-finiarel! That is enough! Do not say another word!" Arya commanded as she started to channel chakra into the hand that was holding onto Eragon's shoulder until a familiar hand landed on her arm and gently but steadily pulled her squeezing hand off of his shoulder.

"Arya, that's enough. I think Eragon got your point." Naruto said before putting his other hand under his chin to rub it in a questioning manner. "Although I'm wondering what exactly got you so flustered. You're usually so collected, no matter the situation. And what kind of fairth did Eragon create to make you even start to use chakra in your hand?"

Arya hurriedly pulled her hand out of Naruto's and stepped out of his reach. "It is merely a misunderstanding between Eragon-finiarel and I. It does not concern you in any way." Arya said in a seemingly impassive voice, although Naruto could still hear the faint ripples that indicated a lie.

" _Why is she lying? Now I'm really curious on what she is hiding from me…_ " Naruto thought until a deep and familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

" _Idiot, out of all the times you have been with her, just what has ever flustered her?_ " Kurama barked in his mind as Naruto continued to think.

" _The only times I have ever seen blush was…oh, around me!_ " Naruto finally thought back as Kurama just rolled his eyes, exasperated at his host's somewhat slow thinking outside of battle-related matters.

" _And you say that you have experience in love...looooser._ " Echoed Kurama as he tried to get a rise out of Naruto.

"Ne, Arya, is the reason because of m…" Naruto began as he pointed at himself when suddenly a sword was stuck in the ground between his legs with edge a mere few inches from his little brother.

"Naruto-vor…did you say something?" Arya asked in an uncharacteristic sweet tone as when she started chanting in the ancient language and both of her hands started glowing green.

Naruto swiftly shook his head as his weakness towards righteous feminine rage surfaced as Arya's face started overlapping with Sakura's, Tsunade's, and most of all Hinata's. He shuddered on the inside when he recalled how Hinata's usually angelic face could so easily turn into a most horrifying one. When those beautiful yet activated Byakugan eyes locked onto the most vulnerable positions of a man… "I'm sorry Arya. I didn't say anything." He quickly said as everyone in the clearing sweat-dropped at the pair's antics.

" _Eragon, please do not make fun of Arya, or Naruto. Or else I might consider having Naruto break our link instead of experiencing your suffering at her hands._ " Saphira said as her wings slightly trembled.

" _Agreed. Even the most powerful of beings must bend the knee to an angry woman._ " Eragon responded back as he suddenly experienced cold sweats forming on his back.

" _Ah…youth_." Oromis thought as he watched the two argue in front of them. Although the pair were both 100 years old, they were still children in Oromis's aged eyes.

Interrupting the scene, Oromis walked a few steps towards Naruto and coughed to get his attention. "Naruto-finiarel, I have a feeling that you have something else you wish to question me about. What is it?"

The two almost immediately stopped as Arya, who realized that what she was doing being seen by other people, blushed from her previously fair cheeks to her tipped ears and turned away from Naruto. As for Naruto, he sheepishly started to rub the back of his head, slightly embarrassed at the interaction which resembled that of an old couple.

However, after a couple of moments, Naruto regained his bearings and turned to Oromis to ask, "What can you tell me about the Ra'zac?"

Eragon twitched at the name as he briefly remembered the faces of his uncle and Brom who died at the hands of the Ra'zac. As he did, he tightly clenched his fists as he struggled to keep a calm and impassive face that fooled everyone but Saphira, who sent comforting thoughts to her Rider. Oromis merely stared at the blonde, wondering what brought up the question.

"There is not much known about the Ra'zac. They were a race that fed on humans and could release a breath that paralyzed human minds. However, the minds of dwarves were hardly clouded while there was no effect on elves. They were nightmares for the humans, for where the humans were weak, the Ra'zac were strong." Oromis stopped as he waited for Eragon and Naruto to absorb the information.

"But what made the Ra'zac deadly was their innate ability to shield their minds from mental powers and detection. In the past 100 years, Galbatorix even used them to scout out rumors of potential Dragon Riders; their innate shielding rendered them incredibly effective. But why are you asking about them? I have heard that that last Ra'zac were killed by your very hands." Oromis questioned as looked curiously at Naruto.

Naruto tensed as he hesitated for a second before deciding to tell them about his unique interrogation method. Relaxing his shoulders, Naruto started to ask a question that had been on his mind since the Burning Plains.

"Where did the Ra'zac come from and why do they seem…created?"

Oromis lifted a white eyebrow as he tried to interpret the question in a variety of ways, especially the last one, before answering.

"No one knows where exactly the Ra'zac came from. However, it is speculated that they came with the first humans that migrated to Alagaesia. Due to their cruel tendencies and killing and eating a massive number of humans, the Dragon Riders conducted a massacre against the Ra'zac, called the Ra'zac War."

When Naruto heard this, he gritted his teeth as this Ra'zac War seemed eerily similar to the Bloodline Purge back in the Elemental Nations. But something did not seem right with this. From what he knew, the Dragon Riders were an order that preached peace and only ever enforced it through violence when it was absolutely necessary. Suspiciously, Naruto asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"Is that really it? Is that really the only reason the Dragon Riders performed genocide on a race? Couldn't the Ra'zac have been banished somewhere outside of Alagaesia or possibly bound in the ancient language to never cause troubles again? And you have still not answered why they seemed to be manufactured. What are you hiding Oromis?"

As Arya and Eragon thought about the blonde's words, their own eyes narrowed when they realized the unusual and seemingly unnecessarily cruel decision of the esteemed Dragon Riders. Even Eragon, despite his tragic past with the Ra'zac, could not help but feel a slight amount of pity for the seemingly extinct race, especially after his training with the elves left him with a much greater respect for life.

Oromis exhaled, knowing that everyone, especially Naruto, will not let him go without the real reason behind the war. The next statements uttered by the elder elf changed everyone's knowledge of what they assumed was only another war in the long history of Alagaesia.

"That is because, Naruto-finiarel, the Ra'zac were indeed created."

Notes

Sorry for not writing much recently. Just getting pounded this week with real life stuff.


	31. Forgotten History

Chapter 31

Naruto's arched one of his eyebrows, having already expected the answer, due to having searched the soul of the Ra'zac. Meanwhile, the others in the clearing did not expect the answer that Oromis gave stood in silence, shocked by his answer.

"Master, what do you mean created? Surely you meant that they were a cross between two species that continued on through their progeny." Eragon asked, unsure of what his master meant by "created".

Arya merely stayed silent as she waited for Oromis to clarify his words, and did not have to wait long for him to further explain his vague answer.

"No, Eragon-finiarel, I meant exactly what I said. The Ra'zac were not naturally created, but rather artificially by implanting the flesh of one of the most powerful races in Alagaesia into human hosts."

Silence pervaded the clearing outside of Oromis's hut as everyone looked at Oromis with astonished eyes. As a few moments passed, Eragon slowly realized that the Ra'zac that he hated were merely unfortunate fellow humans. Finally, he could not take it anymore and burst with questions that Arya and Naruto were thinking in their minds.

"Master, which race's flesh was implanted into these…humans? Just what could have given the Ra'zac such peculiar abilities? But most of all, why were the Ra'zac created? For every action, there is a reason and I do not think any of us are seeing the reason." Eragon questioned as he tried to find sense behind this mystery.

Naruto shook his head before answering one of Eragon's questions.

"Eragon, there is only one reason to create an abomination like the Ra'zac. And that reason is to create weapons of war."

Oromis nodded at the blonde's answer as the others narrowed their eyes. " _Just what kind of opponent could the Ra'zac have been created against?"_ wondered the others.

Without another moment, Oromis answered everyone's questions.

"The flesh that was implanted into these humans was that of the Grey Folk. Yes, the very race that bound the use of magic with their language, the ancient language. The history that most know of is that one of the Grey Folk attempted a spell, but instead almost destroyed the entire of Alagaesia. However, the reason why one of the Grey Folk even attempted such a spell was to seal the land where what we know of as the Ra'zac were created."

Interrupting Oromis, Naruto asked, "Oromis, not that I'm doubting you, but something does not add up. From my limited experience, the Ra'zac that I encountered were far too weak compared to a race that could have destroyed Alagaesia. Even the adult versions of the Ra'zac that I saw in their memories were far too weak to be that much of a threat. And just how did the Dragon Riders find the origins of the Ra'zac?"

"Naruto-finiarel, be patient." Oromis said with a rare tone of annoyance. "The Ra'zac that the Dragon Riders and you encountered were merely far weaker descendants of the originals that fought against the Grey Folk. The Dragon Rider Order, in our attempt to understand this species and try to come to a peaceful end, performed a spell that almost drained everyone's energy reserves to perform. This spell allowed us to read the memories of not just a captive Ra'zac, but its entire ancestral history, even to when its ancestor was first created and when it fought against the Grey Folk."

Oromis paused as he closed his eyes, remembering the terrible memories that still plagued him as he saw in his mind as monstrous beasts that transformed from what seemed like a regular humans fought with other humans and against similar looking beasts, but without the sinister aura that shrouded the transformed humans.

"The war eventually ended, but only when one of the Grey Folk tried a spell to separate the land, where the Ra'zac's ancestors were created, from the rest of the world. However, this was before the Grey Folk bound magic with their ancient language, so instead the entirety of Alagaesia was almost ejected from this world. Realizing their mistake, the Grey Folk hurriedly bound their ancient language to magic and managed to halt, but not completely destroy the spell that was ravishing Alagaesia. Instead, a barrier was erected between the two lands, preventing further Ra'zac reinforcements from reaching our shores. When we found out about this, we immediately decided to perform a… cleansing that was disguised as just another war for the humans. A race that was designed to fight against the Grey Folk, yet filled with so much malice, could not be allowed to exist. That is the hidden history of the Ra'zac that almost nobody but the Dragon Rider Order knew of. But Naruto-finiarel, what exactly prompted such a question?" Oromis asked, as he narrowed his eyes, as a slight suspicion that the Dragon Rider pair couldn't help slowly arose in both of their hearts.

Naruto clenched his jaws for a moment before loosening them to go through with his earlier decision.

"First, I hope what I say stays in this clearing. As you said before, the Ra'zac have innate mental barriers that render them invisible to mental detection, as well as having a secondary effect of being unable to read their memories even when captured. However, the way I read their minds was not through direct mind reading, but rather through reading their very souls." Naruto paused, as he watched the different reactions that went through the others.

"Souls? What do you mean by "reading" souls?" Oromis asked, curious about Naruto's method of reading memories.

"Like I said to Arya and Eragon, the body is a vessel that holds the soul. Should you die, your soul still moves onto whatever afterlife you believe in. But should it be destroyed, your very existence will be wiped from the world and no amount of energy will be able to piece it back together. However, I do not like using this power of mine often, because it is nauseating to have someone's entire life, not just their memories but also their every emotion that they ever had, rush through my mind." Naruto said.

" _I don't think I should mention that I can also rip a person's soul out and incorporate their skills. No matter how close I am to them right now, that is not something I want just anyone to know. Perhaps in the future, but not now._ " Naruto thought as Kurama added his opinion.

" _Kit, I know how much you want them to trust you, but there is never a need to tell anyone, except your closest friends that you yourself know everything of, about your full abilities._ "

" _I know Kurama, but after near a century of being a shinobi and hiding everything from my friends as I smiled at them, I have gotten weary of doing so. The only one that I could tell everything to was my Hinata and now there is no one, but you, that I can tell everything to._ " Naruto thought sadly as Kurama started grumbling.

" _Enough of this sappy crap! Don't you already have another mate that you can soon tell everything to? Ugh, this is so annoying to listen to. I swear this is more annoying than when you preach about ramen! Whatever, I'm going back to sleep._ " And with that. Kurama withdrew from his host's mind as he went back to sleep, ignoring Naruto's calls.

" _Damnit Kurama, Arya and I aren't like that…yet._ " Naruto thought as he scratched his whisker marks in embarrassment at the idea.

"I see Naruto-finiarel. So the…souls of the Ra'zac did not feel like those you have felt before, thus rousing your curiosity. How interesting." Oromis looked at the slight confusion in Naruto's eyes before clarifying his interest. "We elves do not have a religion or any particular belief or a concept of an afterlife, unlike all the other races. This is because there has been no hard proof that could suggest such a thing. But from what you said about souls, you are implying that there is an existence after death and for such a powerful being as you to believe in it is fascinating."

Naruto shifted on his feet as he remembered unpleasant memories of a large army of _Edo Tensei_ reanimations tearing through the Shinobi Alliance of the 4th Shinobi War.

"Back to the war, what are the plans of the elves regarding their invasion into the Empire? With the loss of his new Rider and dragon, he will start to accelerate whatever plans he has and may even fly out to meet either the Varden or the elves, rather than just wait in his castle at Urû'baen. And now we have confirmed that he is using the Eldunari to unnaturally boost his powers, we know that no one but me is able to face him head-on." Naruto concluded as he looked at Oromis for answers.

Oromis thought for a moment before answering Naruto while crossing his arms.

"The elves will be marching on to take Ceunon, which lies directly to the west of the Du Weldenvarden. And we will not be hiding anything anymore. Glaedr and I will be leaving the forest of the Du Weldenvarden for the first time in a century to show the world that the Dragon Riders are not extinct and that we will no longer tolerate Galbatorix's rule. After the city's fall, we will march south on to Gil'ead and raze the city where Arya-svit-kona was captured before finally marching onto Uru-baen, should Galbatorix still be there even after losing most of this Empire."

"Good plan. The men of the Empire should not have any training against an elven army, so Ceunon should fall within a day. However, Gil'ead is a major city of the Empire and will not be so unguarded, especially after word of the fall of Ceunon spreads. If anything, that will be the time when Galbatorix and Shurikan will appear to either halt the elves or to kill you and Glaedr." Naruto determined, drawing on his experience as the Hokage of a highly militaristic village, at least for the first few years of his reign. Reaching his right hand over the seals on his left arm, he unsealed another Hiraishin kuani and gave it to Oromis, who recognized what the strange-looking knife did, thanks to his student Eragon. So instead of showing surprise, the elder elf merely nodded his thanks and in a flash stored the kunai up one of his sleeves.

After handing the kunai, Naruto stepped back as he told the others what he thought the Varden would do. "The Varden will likely wait at least a week before doing the same as the elves, except from the South. The main city to be captured will be Dras-Leona, and from what I have seen, it will not be easy for the Varden to do so. Furthermore, it was the nesting place of the Ra'zac for the past century, so there will likely be strong and nigh impregnable defenses in place. However, there are many smaller cities that will have to be captured, otherwise the Varden will risk being flanked from behind, should they ignore these cities. Eragon, be careful when you fight these battles. Most likely Galbatorix will start sending out more spell casters for the sole purpose of either capturing or incapacitating you and Saphira. As for the red dragon, it's your decision to either lead him to the fight or leave him here in Ellesméra and away from the fighting."

Arya frowned as she analyzed her friend's words, realizing that it sounded as if he was going to separate from the Varden.

"Naruto-vor, what about you? From your words to Eragon, it sounds as if you will not be moving with the Varden." "… _and me."_ Arya said as she thought the last words to herself.

"Arya, unless Galbatorix flies out himself, you, Eragon, and the twelve elven spellcasters that Queen Islanzadí sent out should be enough to handle the battles until Dras-Leona. As for me, I'm curious about where the Dragon Rider Order was once situated, the city of Doru Araeba on the island Vroengard that lies west of the shores of the Alagaesia. Although I may only know how strong the Eldunari are from those I captured from Faolin, just from their strength, I refuse to believe that such an established organization as the Dragon Rider Order was did not leave some help for a future Rider, even if it was against Galbatorix. So after transporting you, Eragon, and Saphira back to the Varden, I will be going to Doru Araeba myself to check if there is anything that will be helpful to Eragon." Before Arya could protest, Naruto raised a hand to stop her before continuing.

"Don't worry Arya, remember I left a clone that I fortified with extra chakra at the Menoa Tree. Although it might not be helpful in a large-scale battle, it will be able to inform me when you are about to march on Dras-Leona. However, should anything happen, immediately use the Hiraishin kunai I gave you and no matter what I am doing, I will be there in a flash." Naruto said as he walked up to Arya and gripped her shoulders with both of his hands while staring into those shining emerald orbs that were fringed with midnight black hair that refused to stay completely straight.

Arya stared right back, unable to turn her gaze from those sky-blue eyes that could at any time turn into those exotic ringed purple eyes, gravity-defying blonde hair that was as soft as it looked, and whisker marks that made the strong man in front of her purr just like a contented werecat. Finally, coughing and snorting filled the clearing as the two dragon riders and their dragons amusedly interrupted the moment that the two friends were having.

Coming to their senses, the two leapt from each other, easily clearing several meters in a single movement as they both turned red as they realized what just happened. After a few moments, Arya turned and swiftly walked away with long strides in the direction of her family's home.

Coughing, Naruto turned towards Eragon as he tried to ignore the knowing look on the younger Dragon Rider's face.

"Eragon, when I flew towards you, I saw that you should have been able to continue dueling Faolin, despite your exhaustion. However, your sword seemed to refuse to move. What happened?" Naruto asked as Eragon lost his earlier look, instead frowning at Zar'roc that was strapped to his waist.

"You saw right, Naruto. I knew that I could keep fighting, but no matter what I tried, it seemed as if Zar'roc was…resisting me. It felt like it did not fit my hand, no…more like it didn't want me to wield it. This made me remember something Solembum told me: _When the time comes and you need a weapon, look under the roots of the Menoa tree._ "

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the unexpected information that the werecat provided Eragon. "Eragon, when I spoke to the Menoa Tree, no Linnëa, she also told me that your sword was rejecting you and that you two did not seem to…fit. She told me that should you ever go to her for a weapon, she will give it to you, but only if you pass her test." Naruto raised a hand before Eragon could ask the blonde what he meant.

"She did not tell me what test would be, but be prepared. The test she will provide will probably unlike anything you have ever gone through." Naruto said as Eragon looked towards Saphira and the elder Dragon Rider, trying to see their opinions.

Both Oromis and Saphira nodded, showing their agreement at Naruto's words. Hardening his gaze, Eragon unstrapped Zar'roc from his waist before handing the blade to Naruto.

"Naruto, while Zar'roc let me down at the Burning Plains, this sword is still gift to me from Brom. Take care of it, and let it serve you well until its true owner is found." Eragon announced as he swiftly walked to where the Menoa Tree was with Saphira behind him.

Looking down at the iridescent red blade in his hands, Naruto swung it a few times before nodding his approval and sealing it in one of the seals on his arms.

Oromis looked at where Naruto sealed the sword of his former student, Morzan, and thought to the more innocent days where all was well and all Morzan had was a slightly too large of a desire for power. Shaking his head, he walked back into his hut, plucked a book from one of his bookshelves, and walked back to Naruto and gave him the book.

"Naruto-finiarel, while I know your powers are beyond anything that has ever existed in my knowledge, there are still hidden dangers at Doru Araeba that can take down even the strongest should their guards ever be dropped."

Naruto nodded at the words, knowing the wisdom behind them. However, he was certain, by instinct, that even if he sustained a mortal wound, or was even pierced through his head, he could still survive, just that the regeneration would take a while longer. Before leaving the clearing, Naruto switched his eyes to the Rinne-Sharingan and said to Oromis and Glaedr.

"Oromis, Glaedr, guard your minds well. I'm about to give you a present that I think you two will appreciate more than anyone else." Naruto waited as he watched the slightly confused pair instantly bring up their mental barriers. A swirl suddenly appeared around his eyes as a small pile of around thirty bowling ball sized jewels materialized at the pair's feet.

Instantly, Oromis's and Glaedr's eyes widened in shock, and then intense joy at the sight of the Eldunari. However, that joy was soon replaced with sorrow and rage as they felt the madness, despair, and hatred that emanated from the Eldunari. Closing their eyes, Oromis and Glaedr bowed their heads as far as they could while standing to Naruto before thanking him individually.

"Naruto-finiarel, on behalf of the elves, the Dragon Rider Order, and all of Alagaesia, I thank you for what you have brought back to us. If there were ever a single doubt in my mind regarding you, they have been forever cleared. Should you ever need help, I will even offer up my life until you no longer need it. This, I swear." Oromis said as he swore in the ancient language.

Soon a rumbling sound echoed in Naruto's mind as Glaedr connected his mind to Naruto's. " _Hatchling, no Naruto_ _Namikaze_ _Uzumaki, what you have done for us can never be repaid. As Oromis swore before, so shall I. Should you ever require help from either or both of us, I shall use my life to make your wishes a reality. However, a piece of advice._ " Glaedr thought as he turned a meter-tall golden eye with a vertical black slit towards the blonde.

" _While you are already doing so, be careful when you are attempting to communicate with weaker beings through your mind. While Saphira and I have spoken to you through your mind, we hid our astonishment and…fear, as much as I loathe to admit, of the breadth and strength that emanated from your it. Should you ever try to communicate with other spell casters, elves, and especially humans, suppress your mind as much as you can, otherwise the mere presence of your mind might just…break them, physically and mentally._ " Glaedr advised as he turned his head away from Naruto.

Naruto stood still, having already suspected what Glaedr said, but never being able to confirm his suspicion as the only two he communicated with mentally never told him anything. Finally, he turned to leave and walked a few steps before slightly turning his face towards the pair, showing only enough for the two to see a sky-blue eye.

"You're welcome, Oromis and Glaedr. But you do not have to place your lives on the line in exchange for what I have done. It was only right that I give back what belonged to your order, to you two. Just…be careful you two. Should you fall to Galbatorix, I do not know how Eragon will turn out. I do not want to see him tread the path of revenge that my best friend walked on. So, if I had a wish, it's to live. Live at any cost to see your beloved Ellesméra, your hut, the Menoa Tree, Eragon and Saphira, and most of all…each other. So do not hesitate to use the kunai I gave you. Even if I didn't say these words, I believe that you two would do so. Now, it's about time I leave, Ja ne." Naruto said as he smiled a fox smile then Kamui'd to where he first landed in Alagaesia.

"So it shall be, Naruto-finiarel." Oromis uttered as he turned around with a serious yet happy look on his face and started to strap on the instruments of war on himself and Glaedr.

Notes

First, I am so sorry for not updating recently. I've been so tired and combined with trying to make the reveal of the Ra'zac as smooth as possible, it's been tough. Thank you for reading, and please review!


	32. True Names

Chapter 32

In the dark of night, a nearly invisible black swirl appeared at the base of a range of mountains filled with forests. Within a second, Naruto whirled into existence, still clothed in the same white trench coat that was now stained red with blood and had a thin slice through it, where Faolin's sword pierced through him.

" _Ugh, I need to change out of these clothes. By the way Kurama, how did that Faolin pierce through my body? After you became the Juubi and with my drastic increase in chakra, ordinary weapons hardly affected me, much less stabbing completely through me. So just what happened?_ " Naruto thought to his partner as he thought back to that stab.

Inside his mindscape, Kurama cocked his head to the side as he wondered the same thing as the blonde. Finally, the giant ten-tailed fox came to an answer and shook his head at the idiocy of his container.

" _Naruto, you idiot. It's because your chakra reserves at the time were completely empty and for some stupid reason that I cannot fathom, you did not release some of your seals on your chakra. If you had, there's no way that puny sword would have been able to cut through your body if it was even slightly chakra-enhanced. Combined with your stupidity and those so called spells on the blade, you deserved that stab._ " Kurama said snidely as Naruto developed a large tick on his forehead, along with several bulging veins.

" _You dumb giant furball! How about you try getting stabbed through the chest before saying anything!_ " Naruto yelled back in his mind as terminated the contact, but not without hearing mocking chuckles from his friend. Naruto pouted as he unsealed the boat that he arrived in.

"Hmmm, I wonder what Eragon and Arya are doing right now?" Naruto thought out loud as he summoned several shadow clones to sail the boat as he once again entered his Kamui dimension.

Eragon walked through the now near empty trees shaped into houses with Saphira at his side. Initially, he was curious at the lack of arboreal inhabitants, but remembered that they were marching west on Ceunon. As he neared the Menoa Tree, he noticed a patch of blonde hair and watched with shocked amusement as a clone of Naruto cheekily winked at him before closing its eyes to continue doing whatever it was doing. Shaking his head after giving Saphira a look, they continued walking through its thick roots, a heavy presence seemed to envelop the two of them. Slightly shivering, Eragon thought of the words of Solembum and Naruto.

After looking and mentally scanning the ground beneath the Menoa Tree's roots, he finally knelt to one knee and stretched out the hand with the gedwëy ignasia onto the trunk of the tree.

Reaching out with his mind and shivering at the alien feel of the tree, Eragon mentally shouted out a plea as Saphira strengthened the signal. " _Please, listen to me, O great tree! I need your help! The entire land is at war, the elves have left the safety of Du Weldenvarden, and I do not have a sword to fight with! Naruto and the werecat Solembum told me to look under the Menoa tree when I needed a weapon. Well, that time has come! Please, listen to me, O mother of the forest! Help me in my quest!_ "

After hearing his mental plea echo slowly disappear without a response, Eragon mustered his strength again to make another plea when a thin root gently wrapped around his hand that was still pressed against the tree. As the two stiffened, ready fight it out if necessary, the large and alien consciousness of the Menoa Tree pressed through whatever mental barriers Eragon had up as if they were not there.

" _I have been waiting for you, young Dragon Rider and dragon._ " The Menoa Tree whispered in a feminine voice in the duo's mind, but with no less strength than Glaedr's rumbling.

Taken aback by the Menoa Tree's response, Eragon quickly asked back in his mind. " _You were? Just who could have…Naruto._ " The question died out as he connected the dots.

" _Yes, the one you called Naruto was the first to actually speak with me and informed me of you. I saw how the sword of the traitor would one day let you down and knew that you would one day come to me for the object under my roots. And I will give it to you…but only if you pass my test._ "

Eragon's heart started to beat wildly with joy and excitement as Saphira smiled at her Rider's joy, until they both heard the last statement of the Menoa Tree. Cautiously, the young Dragon Rider asked, " _Thank you, mother of the forest, for giving us the chance. But what is this test you speak of?_ "

The Menoa Tree paused as she finally sighed out her answer. " _The test is simple, and yet difficult. You and the dragon must discover your true names. The moment you do, I will be able to sense whether you are worthy of me to help you and to see just what kind of person you truly are. Now go, and do not come back until you have succeeded._ " Eragon and Saphira tried to reach out to the Menoa Tree again, but were not able to get a response back from her.

When they could not contact the Menoa Tree, Eragon looked at Saphira with a hint of helplessness.

" _Just how are we going to find out our true names? From what we know of, finding out true names require extensive experience, knowledge, and most of all luck. We simply do not have the time to wait for our true names to just appear._ " Eragon thought their mental link.

" _Little One. Do not despair, for we are not alone in this. If we do not know how to proceed, we can just ask our Masters for help._ " Saphira comforted Eragon who smiled at her while patting her snout.

" _Thank you, Saphira. We will, but ultimately, this test will come down to us. I just hope we are ready to know our true names._ "

As the two left the Menoa Tree, the Naruto clone opened his eyes, having eavesdropped on the conversation between the Menoa Tree, Eragon, and Saphira. The clone then contemplated out loud on whether his boss had a true name, despite being a foreigner to Alagaesia.

"I wonder if the boss has a true name even though he is not from Alagaesia? Hmmm…I guess I'll go ask Arya about it." Clone Naruto thought as he stood up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and walked over to where he sensed Arya was.

Arya was currently at Tialdarí Hall, her family home and where the group first met the queen and the elven lords. Staring at a mirror, the forest green-eyed elf maiden looked at her reflection as she thought back to what happened in the clearing. As she remembered those blue orbs, she quickly turned away from her other self in the mirror.

" _Just why do I seem attracted to Naruto? After finding out how Faolin betrayed me, I should have tried to keep my distance. But instead, I find myself getting closer to him with every moment I spend with him. Is this truly love? If it is, will he also one day betray me like Faolin did?_ " Arya pondered when she Naruto walking towards her from the mirror.

Gathering her thoughts with a breath, Arya turned around to face Clone Naruto. "Is there something you need, Naruto-vor?" she asked when the clone waved its hands in front of him.

"Don't be so formal Arya, I'm merely a clone of the boss that he left to continue purifying the nature chakra running through the Menoa Tree, remember?" The clone said as he suddenly went to circle around her, seemingly analyzing her with his staring eyes.

Arya turned constantly, trying to keep the clone in her sight when he suddenly stopped in front of her before giving a nod of approval. She merely raised an eyebrow at it, demanding an answer with her eyes. Eventually, the clone shrugged his shoulders, apparently having come to a decision.

"You pass Arya! I approve of any future relationship between you and the boss!" declared the clone as he did a nice-guy pose that a certain pair green-spandex wearing men in the Pure World suddenly whipped their heads in a particular direction. Soon, the afterlife was filled with the yells of youth, Guy-sensei, and Lee.

Stunned for a moment at the clone's words, Arya stood staring in disbelief at him before blushing a furious red as she drew her sword and unconsciously channeled green chakra before swiping it towards the clone. Yelping, the clone immediately started to attempt to dodge her sword strikes, only to get start getting scratches as time passed.

" _I'm glad that I'm not a regular shadow clone, otherwise I would have dispersed by now! But still, as expected of the boss, he really is helplessly attracted to strong, beautiful women._ " The clone thought until several more scratches appeared on him. " _However, this has gone on long enough!_ "

"Arya, stop! I just wanted to ask whether it's possible for the boss to have a true name, and if he does, could you help him find it?" The clone shouted out as Arya slowly stopped trying to stab another hole for the clone to breathe through.

" _Calm yourself Arya Dröttning. Although, Naruto did say that the clones were him…just with a few quirks of their own. So if what the clone said is true…_ " Arya thought as she blushed again until she remembered the clone's request.

"True name? Of course he should have…I see." Arya realized as she considered the clone's question. She furrowed her defined eyebrows as she pondered the question until coming to an answer.

"In Alagaesia, everything has a true name, whether they be living or not. This is true mainly because everything contains a small amount of magic, which we have found out to be chakra, just harnessed in a different way. So, although Naruto-vor is not from Alagaesia, he does use chakra and has even learned how to do magic through the ancient language and should thus have a true name." Arya concluded as the clone nodded its head before asking her about the second half of its request.

"So, will you help me find the boss's true name? As a shadow clone, I am basically him, just that I can think on my own, so even if the boss's true name is different from mine, it shouldn't be too different. And if you do, you'll be the first to know." Arya smiled as she was about to say yes, but froze when she heard what the clone said in the end.

"Do you know what you are asking for? If anyone knows your true name, they would be able to completely control you and you wouldn't be able to even fight against him. Your enemies could even order you to kill yourself or your loved ones and you would do it, just because they knew your true name." Arya sighed as she saw the look of horror appear on the clone's face. "So do you still want to tell me your true name? If Galbatorix, or even just another enemy spell caster manages to break my mind, they will find out your true name, and there will be nothing you could do."

The clone hesitated before a resolute expression on its face as he hoped that he was making the correct decision.

"Arya, the boss never hides anything from his precious ones, unless the truth could hurt them in some way. And you are the closest to him in the living world, other than that nine-tailed fuzzball inside of him. So yes, I know what I am asking for and I am sure that the boss will agree with me." The clone said with clenched fists at its sides.

" _Is he serious? I did stress the importance of one's true name, but even if he is a clone, it is basically Naruto that still wants me to hear his true name._ " Arya's heart raced at the trust that her friend had in her. " _This might also be selfish of me, no it definitely is, but with this, I can truly confirm his character._ " Arya thought as a look of resolve appeared on her face.

"I will help you, clone of Naruto-vor. But first, I want to ask, why are you so interested in finding your true name all of a sudden?" She asked as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.

"Well, I sort of listened in on the conversation between the Menoa Tree, Eragon, and Saphira, and she gave them a test: to find their true names. So if I'm right, they should at some time come to you for guidance." The clone answered with a sheepish look, rubbing the back of its head.

Arya deadpanned at the clone as she walked past it and into Ellesméra before gesturing the clone to follow her into the forest. The clone moved to follow, but not before creating another one and dispersing it.


	33. The Process

Chapter 33

In the real Naruto's Kamui dimension, the blonde paused in creating wards that he was taught by Arya around himself that would draw on his chakra. As he did so, Kurama observed as layer after layer of protection briefly appeared around the blonde before disappearing from plain view.

"Well, even if magic is less powerful than the jutsus that you already know, at least you don't have to mark up your skin just to provide protection. In fact, it's idiot-proof, which is perfect for the dumbest Hokage of Hokages." Kurama snickered as he poked fun at Naruto, making him remember what Tobirama Senju said during the 4th Shinobi War.

Stopping in the middle of one his spells, Naruto turned to glare at the giant fox, as he suddenly leapt into the air and drop kicked his friend into the ground after releasing his Kage-level chakra seals.

"TSŪTENKYAKU!"

A crater as wide as a mountain formed where the fox's head got buried into the ground. Not a second later, Kurama brought his head back up and glared at the blonde that was currently floating at the same level as his head.

"YOU'RE DEAD BRAT! BIJUUDAMA!" Kurama roared out as a giant dark mass of dense chakra as large as Shukaku appeared in front of his snout. Naruto started crying anime tears, protesting that it was Kurama that started it. Ignoring his only friend, the mighty Juubi no Kitsune narrowed his red slitted eyes before madly grinning, and shot the giant ball of chakra at the floating blonde.

"DAMNIT KURAMA!" Naruto yelled out as he activated the wards he had placed on himself for the past few hours. Soon, all he could see was red-tinged darkness as a Bijuudama that was far more powerful than the previous Juubi could do washed over him.

Kurama looked at where Naruto should be, satisfied that the Bijuudama he released should have at least given him a few wounds and taught him a lesson. As the dust settled, the giant fox's eyes went wide when he saw Naruto, unharmed, in a multicolored sphere of light.

Coughing the dust out of his lungs, Naruto turned to glare and furiously point at his giant furry friend.

"Kurama, you damn furball! You could have seriously injured me!" Naruto yelled as Kurama just looked at him, before turning around and yawning. "Hey, listen to me you…" as Naruto prepared to launch into a long tirade, Kurama flicked one of ten tails at Naruto, who was then knocked to the ground.

"Oh, be quiet brat. At least we found out that your wards work, didn't we?" Kurama said lazily as he went to find a place to sleep. Just as Naruto was thinking of continuing the argument, a clone in Ellesméra popped, relaying him the information about true names and what the Menoa Tree clone decided. Kurama looked back, confused on why the blonde stopped suddenly, before Naruto sat down.

"Hey Kurama…do you think I have a true name, despite not being from Alagaesia originally _?_ " Naruto thought as he reviewed what Arya told his clone about true names.

Kurama lied on his side, going through the clone's memories, but narrowed his eyes at the complete control part. "Naruto, if you do have a true name, I'm not sure if it is a good thing. From what your elf mate said, if an enemy has your true name, he could control you and make you do anything. While I doubt anyone here in Alagaesia would be able to truly control you, especially when I'm here, you should still be careful. You know how it feels to be controlled, even slightly, against your will."

Naruto went silent as he listened to his partner's words. "If I have a true name, we should try to find out what it is, since as you know, it's dangerous to not know all aspects of myself."

Kurama nodded before waggling his eyebrows. "So…are you going to tell your mate your true name if you find it? I mean, as a shinobi, you should hide it from everyone, but knowing you…"

Naruto merely blushed and shot a glare at his friend as he grunted and went back to creating more wards and training clones that were destroyed from the Bijuudama.

Eragon and Saphira ventured deeper into the depths of the Du Weldenvarden as they thought of the advice that their masters told them.

 _Flashback_

 _Oromis was placing the still unconscious Faolin inside his hut while Glaedr was coming back from guiding the red dragon, after a couple of oaths in the ancient language, to a cave a distance away when Eragon and Saphira entered the clearing that surrounded the elder Dragon Rider's hut._

 _"Eragon-finiarel, since you are here, I take it that the Menoa Tree agreed to help you?_ " _Oromis asked as he started to strap on the last piece of his armor in the clearing where they last met._

 _"Yes master, the Menoa Tree agreed to help me, but only if both Saphira and I pass her test." Eragon replied as Oromis merely waited for the rest of the answer. Eragon looked at Saphira before saying, "We have to find our true names, both of us."_

 _Oromis and Glaedr startled a little before looking at each other. The younger Dragon Rider pair waited as their masters mentally communicated their surprise and thoughts of the matter. Finally, the elder pair turned to look back at their students._

 _"The Menoa Tree gave the both of you a test to find your true names?" Oromis asked Eragon seriously. After seeing his student nod, he sighed as he gestured Eragon to sit at the across from him as he moved to do the same. As the two dragons knelt beside their respective riders, Oromis continued from his previous question._

 _"Eragon-finiarel, you are here to learn how to find your true name." Oromis stated rather than asked. Seeing another nod, Oromis started to tell Eragon the dangers of finding his true name._

 _"Eragon-finiarel, from what we have discussed on the matter of true names, you know the power of knowing your true name, but also how deadly it can be for another to also know it. But what I have never told you was the hidden danger to you of knowing your true name." Oromis paused as looked directly into Eragon's eyes. "What you do not know is that more than a few have gone mad and insane after discovering their true names, and all of them with far more life experience than either of you. I have seen men, elves, dwarves, and Dragon Riders and their dragons lose their minds over finding what their true names described them as. Are you sure you two want to find out your true"_

 _Eragon and Saphira looked at each other in horror, not expecting that just knowing one's true name could lead to such consequences._

 _"Little One, must we take this test? Are you sure that you cannot just keep using Zar'roc as you have before?" Saphira thought as she looked worriedly at her partner._

 _Saphira's words cut deeper than any blade could to Eragon. Ever since they left on their journey, the only one to have absolute faith in him was Saphira. To have her start to doubt his ability to pass the test momentarily wavered his determination before he resolved himself to prove that he would not break under his true name._

 _"No Saphira, we must do this. If I doubt my own true name, what kind of Dragon Rider…no, what kind of man would I be? Certainly not worthy to have had you hatch for me." Eragon thought back with clenched fists. Saphira looked back at Eragon and saw only endless resolve in his eyes. Nodding, the two looked back at the elder Dragon Rider pair._

 _Oromis and Glaedr watched the two argue, and after a few moments, saw the younger pair's resolution. Sighing, Oromis started instructing the two on the methods of finding their true names._

 _Flashback End_

"So, Master Oromis mentioned that we should tell each other our flaws and strengths, aside from those he and Glaedr listed already." Eragon thought to Saphira as they silently strode through the dense forest.

As the two exchanged flaws with each other, with each accumulating failing, Eragon's pride was wounded further. Eventually, they found that Saphira's main flaw was her vanity in both herself and her race, the dragons. It was to the point of almost assuming that nothing else in the world could possibly outshine her or a dragon's beauty and power. As for Eragon, it was his naïve way of thinking as he killed men and same weaknesses that all others were prey to, but especially humans: anger, selfishness, pettiness, and so many others. But, what surprised Eragon the most was when Oromis and Glaedr both claimed that he possessed a streak of arrogance that sometimes displayed itself when they talked about why the Empire had to be destroyed, or better yet, why Galbatorix had to be killed.

As they walked for a few moments in relative silence, with only the ambient sounds of the forest and the drifting thoughts between their connected minds, they soon noticed a pair of familiar energy signals ahead although one of the signals felt much weaker than it usually was. Wondering what the two were doing several miles away from Ellesméra, Eragon and Saphira increased their pace and soon came to another clearing that was surrounded by thick green trees that indicated their age and a familiar pair in the middle, Arya and Naruto.

Currently, the two were seated across from each other with their hands outstretched, and Naruto's on top of Arya's. Both of them had closed eyes, with Arya sharing her memories about the time when she discovered her true name in Farthen Dûr.

In a brief summary of memories, Arya narrated that it was a number of years after she left Du Weldenvarden, when she finally had become accustomed to her role among the Varden and the dwarves. Faolin and her other companions were away, and she had a great deal of time to herself. She then told of how she spent most of it exploring Tronjheim, wandering in the empty reaches of the city-mountain, where others rarely tread.

Just as Arya was about to show how she discovered her true name, the rate of memories slowed as she and the Naruto clone appeared to walk behind the younger Arya down a dusty corridor that was somewhere high in Tronjheim.

Just as the younger Arya was about to open a door, the two heard a disturbance from outside. Immediately ending the memory, Arya and the clone whirled in the direction of the noise, but relaxed when they saw it was only Eragon and Saphira.

"Hey Eragon, Saphira, what are you guys doing all the way out here?" Clone Naruto asked as he waved at the approaching pair.

"Hello Naruto and Arya. Saphira and I were just wandering around Du Weldenvarden, speaking to each other of our faults and strengths." Eragon replied, unwilling to tell them of his test, as he plopped down onto the grass, right next to the two. After doing so, Eragon looked back and forth between the two before asking, "So how about you two? What are the two of you doing so far away from Ellesméra? Could it be you two were…?" Eragon started to uncharacteristically wiggle his eyebrows at the close pair while Saphira rolled her giant eyes, already expecting the she-elf to start beating up her rider.

To the dragon's surprise, Arya merely turned her head away, as in the elf's opinion, showing how she found her true name was far more intimate than whatever Eragon was implying. Clone Naruto chuckled at their interaction, already giving a thumbs-up in his mind towards his Boss and Arya. "Eragon, we were merely discussing about finding my Boss's true name when Arya offered to share her memory about her experience with me. Oh, and I'm just a clone of the Boss." The clone explained when he saw a question mark appear on top of Eragon and Saphira.

"A clone…?" Eragon started before Clone Naruto explained the concept of shadow clones to the Dragon Rider pair. "Now that I think about it, I did sense an explosion of Naruto's life signs when I was fighting Faolin, which is amazing considering how far away I was while fighting another Dragon Rider." Eragon remarked as he vaguely remembered the sudden increase in Naruto's life sign back at the Burning Plains, but discounted it in favor of keeping his head connected to his body during his fight with Faolin.

"Eragon-finiarel and Saphira, have you two been walking through Du Weldenvarden in the hopes of finding your true names by sudden inspiration?" Arya interrupted as she quickly got over her earlier embarrassment.

Widening their eyes, the human and dragon pair were about to ask how Arya knew when the clone interrupted while rubbing the back of his head. "Well…I might have eavesdropped on the conversation between you guys and the Menoa Tree, hahaha…" laughed the clone as Eragon and Saphira widened eyes turned into large perfect circles that indicated their disbelief, until they both rolled their eyes and just chalked whatever the clone did as another one of Naruto's insane abilities.

"Hey Arya, since Eragon and Saphira are here to also find their true names, how about also showing them how you found yours?" The clone asked. Arya immediately sent a slight glare at the clone, clearly indicating her reluctance at sharing such a personal memory with either Eragon or Saphira.

Catching the glare, Eragon immediately cut in before Arya could have a chance to protest at the clone. "Naruto…clone, I hardly think that's appropriate for Arya to share such a personal and revealing memory to just anyone, other than you Naruto. Besides, we can talk to Arya later about how she found her true name, rather than have her show us a memory of it." Standing up and starting to stride away with Saphira from the two, Eragon left with a simple farewell as he once again went into discussion with Saphira of what their true names could possibly be.

Turning back to Arya, the clone once again held his hands out as he asked, "Shall we?"

Looking at the offered hands, the elf uncharacteristically huffed as she moved her hands over his. Just as she was about grasp his hands, one of her hands shot out to grab the clone's collar to drag his face towards her's. Looking deep into the clone's eyes, Arya said in a soft, yet steely tone, "What I am about to show you is something that I have never shown, or even expected to ever show to anyone, not even Faolin or my mother. So I hope that you realize how rude it was for you to "offer" my memories of finding my true name to Eragon. Telling how one found his/her true name is one thing, but showing memories is completely different."

Knowing that he was in the wrong, the clone nodded in understanding after a few moments passed. When Arya saw that the clone understood what it did, she nodded as she let go of the collar and placed her hands on top of clone's and proceeded to show it her most treasured memories.


	34. Mistake

Chapter 34

The moment the clone and Arya touched hands, the elf gently guided the clone's consciousness into hers. Earlier, before the Battle of the Burning Plains and during one of Arya's lessons to Naruto, as she guided the blonde's mind to hers, her mind almost shut down from the raw power that his mind emanated the moment they touched. Since then, even after Arya taught Naruto how to limit his mind to not accidentally hurt hers, it was still painful for her to let him try to access her mind himself, which lead her to the method of simply guiding a trace of Naruto's mind to hers.

After Arya guided the clone's consciousness, the two once again appeared behind a younger Arya who was walking down a dusty corridor in one of the upper floors of Tronjheim, where even sunlight could be seen. Soon, for no visible reason, the younger Arya stopped in front of a door that did not appear different from any of the countless doors of the giant dwarven city.

As they watched the younger elf just stare at the door, Arya started to softly recount to the clone what she felt. "As I walked through the high corridors of Tronjheim, I came upon a door that was no different from the countless other doors of all the floors. Yet, for some reason, when I saw this door, I felt a strange pull, as if something was calling to me to go into this particular room."

Arya stopped talking as they watched memory Arya slowly open the door with slightly trembling hands, which stood out the most to the clone, since he knew how fearless and composed she could be, even in the face of torture of a Shade. Narrowing his eyes, the clone closely observed the now opened room, looking for anything that stood out from a normal room.

What he saw at first glance disappointed him, since the parts of the room that he was able to see were not different from the many rooms of Tronjheim, other than a single beam of sunlight. Then Arya, who was beside him, pointed towards the ceiling where the beam of sunlight seemed to originate from. Following her finger, the Naruto clone looked up, only to widen his eyes at the odd phenomena; the ceiling from where the sunlight was coming from was completely solid, with no trace of a hole or window from where the sun could possibly shine through.

As the Naruto clone was about to attempt to peek over the memory Arya's shoulder to see what the beam of light was illuminating, the Arya beside him took his arm and gestured to walk around the memory Arya. Nodding, he followed Arya and finally saw what the memory Arya was staring so intensely at.

It was a single flower with purple petals, a thorny stem, and a center that was like a drop of blood that appeared to grow from a stone pedestal in the middle of the room. The flower was unlike any other that the real Naruto had ever seen or heard of, whether it be from the Elemental Nations or from the many books he read from the library of Ellesméra.

As the memory Arya blankly stared at the flower, the real Arya started speaking again. "In all my years of travelling across Alagaesia, I have never seen or heard of such a flower, whether by sight or by word. But when I saw this flower and smelled its scent, something within me started to form. As I continued to stare at the flower, I saw everything: from how the odd beam of light touched the flower to how it was growing on top of a pedestal of pure stone." Arya then pointed at her past self as she appeared to have a blank look in her eyes.

The Naruto clone then carefully walked around the memory Arya to observe any changes that could occur. As he did so, Arya's face faintly flushed in embarrassment at the close attention the clone was giving to her past self.

" _Hmmm, the state that Arya is in is actually quite similar to when I was about to enter Sage Mode when I first started learning it. She is not moving at all, but I wonder what exactly is going through her mind at this moment. She did mention about observing her surroundings, but were those observations done during this odd state, or after? Well…I could do that…but I'm not sure it will work. I hope this works._ "

After the Naruto clone ran through these thoughts, he suddenly extended a hand towards the memory Arya as his eyes swirled into the Rinne-Sharingan. From the side, Arya watched as a shimmering layer of air surrounding the outstretched hand approached her past self's head.

" _What is he doing? This is only a memory, so it is not possible to influence or even touch anyone or anything here, so what is he planning?"_ Arya wondered as she started towards the Naruto clone.

"Naruto, what are you thinking of doing…" She started until her eyes widened at the sight of the hand that was surrounded by shimmers making contact with her past self's forehead.

" _That is…impossible! How can he possibly touch the past me that should not be solid?_ " Arya wondered as another one of her fundamental beliefs was shattered in front of her. After thinking about it for a short moment, she came to a realization that ever since she met Naruto, many of her previously solid beliefs were constantly broken and that she was actually not too surprised at another one being shattered.

Shaking her head, she was about to ask what he was doing before an odd sensation ran through her mind before gradually turning into a painful pounding. Gasping and swaying on her feet, Arya endured the pain as she shot la ook at the clone that asked, " _Why?_ "

As Arya began to become overcome with pain, the Naruto clone concentrated on using the Ningendo path of his eyes on the past Arya in front of him. Unlike the actual Naruto, the clone could only barely use the Rinnegan powers without puffing out of existence. The strain from using the powers of the eye regarded as those from a god was not one a simple shadow clone was able to easily handle, even from one as powerful as Naruto. Thus, the clone could not pay close attention to his surroundings as he immersed himself in the thoughts and feelings going through the past Arya's mind.

When he came in contact with the thoughts that Arya had at that moment, he encountered a mental barrier that resisted his efforts to read those thoughts. As he probed the barrier, he thought, " _What is this? This does not feel like anything Boss has encountered. It doesn't feel like the mental shields that I have previously felt from humans, Urgals, dwarves, or even elves, but rather from some primal force. I could break through it without much effort, but that could lead to intense pain to Arya, so that's not an option. All I need is to peek beyond the barrier, I don't have to completely crush it, just make a small hole to look through. I hope this works._ "

The Naruto clone scrunched his eyebrows as he attempted to focus the power of the Rinnegan into a concentrated bundle of power on top of his fingertip. As he did so, he felt the barrier that was nearly impenetrable to others almost evaporate at the point of contact. As it did, faint words that he recognized as the ancient language started to pulsate across the rest of the barrier except for a small hole.

Peeking through the hole, the Naruto clone saw an amazing sight. From the memory Arya's perspective, the entire room, including the flower, light, the surrounding walls, and even the very air were composed of words of the ancient language. While this made his eyes widen, what stunned him were that certain words in the surroundings started to light up and actually float towards him/past Arya and seemingly integrate into her. As they did, the Naruto clone could feel certain parts of Arya that were "empty" or "missing" were becoming occupied at a rapid pace.

" _How interesting, from this, it would seem as if before discovering his or her true name, each person can be regarded as incomplete in regards to the ancient language and only when certain conditions are met would they be filled and the true name discovered. From the thoughts that were running through her head at that time, one must know oneself almost completely while being in an environment that emphasized their all of their characteristics, the good and the bad._ "

Withdrawing the power of the Rinnegan and turning around, the Naruto clone started, "Arya, I think I found…" before stuttering to a stop when he saw the painful expression on the elf's face. Rushing over to her with an outstretched hand to help her, the Naruto clone exclaimed, "Arya, what happened to…?"

Before he could finish, a pale hand knocked his away with surprising strength. Steadying herself while shooting the Naruto clone a cold glare, Arya coldly said, "Whatever you did clone of Naruto, almost caused my mind to collapse. Since you are only a clone of my friend, I will forgive you this once, but for now, BEGONE!" as she forcefully slammed the clone out of her consciousness before following.

On the verge of puffing out of existence, the Naruto clone fell backwards as he was forcibly slammed out of Arya's mind. As he did, he thought about why the elf the Boss was so close to would suddenly act so violently towards him. After a few seconds, he almost slammed his head against the ground when he realized the amount of pain the Ningendo path of the Rinnegan caused the target, regardless how gentle he was with the path.

As Arya came to, he saw a look of hurt and betrayal in her eyes that was quickly hidden by a wave of pure black hair as she turned away and started to quickly stride away from him. Before she could get far, the clone rushed forward to grab her hand and spun her around to face him. But before he could utter a word, he froze as he watched a crystal-like tear slowly fall from the corner of one of her emerald eyes.

Before the clone could start, Arya started coldly, "Clone of Naruto, please unhand me now!" as she shook her arm in an attempt to dislodge the clone's hand.

Just as his hand was about to be dislodged, the clone blurted out, "Arya, blame me, but don't blame the boss. None of this is his fault" When Arya slightly startled at the last statement, the clone took this chance to further explain.

"Arya, although I am a clone of the Boss, he does not completely control us like puppets, rather we can act on our own while listening to his instructions in battle. The pain that I have caused you is completely my fault, but don't let this affect your relationship with the Boss." The clone quickly explained as Arya stopped struggling and tilted her head down, hiding whatever look she had on her face.

Then she softly began, "It is not the pain that angered me…rather it was when you betrayed my trust by forcibly opening one of my, if not most important, memory without even asking me. If you had but asked, I would have said yes and even if it caused double the pain, I would not have complained. But you did not." After this, she sighed as she suddenly slipped her hand out of the loosened grip of the clone.

Striding a few meters away, the clone watched as Arya paused and said, "Do not worry, I will not blame Naruto-vor over this, just give me a little time." before disappearing into the forest.

The Naruto clone stared off in the direction that Arya went in before sighing, "I really messed up, didn't I? Sorry Boss." before forming a cross and murmuring _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ to inform Naruto of what he learned.

Notes

Hello readers! I'm sorry for not posting any chapters for a really long while, it's just that I had a lot of exams last year while having writer's block concerning this chapter. Even now, I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with how it went, but ever onwards I guess. If you are still reading this story, thank you so much for doing so and I hope to continue writing this story!


	35. The True Name

Chapter 35

The moment the clone in Ellesméra popped another clone in order to relay what happened, the real Naruto was sparring with Kurama. Just as the blonde was about to dodge one of his friend's giant tails, he received the information from his clone, which horrified him enough for the apartment sized tail to whack him into and through several mountains in the Kamui dimension.

As Naruto flew through the air, he yelled out, "DAMNIT KURAMA!" which was punctuated by several coughs as he crashed through each new mountain. Snickering, the giant fox pounced forward to follow his host while wondering why Naruto didn't dodge his strike.

As Naruto crashed through the last mountain, he stayed in man-shaped crater that he created for a moment while cursing the fact that his clone had essentially violated Arya's mind.

Sighing and starting to climb out of the hole, he thought about the other part of the information the clone sent him. After temporarily shelving what his clone had done, he saw the state that Arya was in as she discovered her true name, which he realized was quite similar to when he first learned Sage Mode. Except that when he was trying to activate Sage Mode back then, he focused on emptying his mind completely while sensing and drawing in the Nature Chakra around him.

" _Just how am I going to fix this? I really don't want to let this stand in the way._ " thought Naruto as Kurama landed not ten feet away from the blonde who had just dusted himself off after climbing out of the hole. As he landed, a mushroom cloud of dust and dirt bloomed high into the sky as the blonde was once again covered in dirt.

Before Naruto could yell out at the fox again, Kurama started, "Brat, what happened? Although I'm not complaining, you should have been able to easily dodge my attack."

Summoning the wind, Naruto, for the second time dusted himself off as Kurama impatiently waited, while noting his friend's casual use of wind without any hand signals or words. " _His mastery over his main element has become even stronger to the point of not even needing external aid. While he still can't use it in a large scale battle, he is close it it. It's only a matter of time._ "

As Kurama mused over the evolving abilities of Naruto, he latter glared up at the fox before sighing and relaying what his clone found out about true names and lastly what happened with Arya. When Kurama heard about what his clone did to Arya, the fox actually frowned, which further reinforced how terrible an act the clone did to Arya.

"Just what should I do Kurama? If somebody did something like that to me or anyone I knew, that person cease to exist in less than a heartbeat." Naruto asked desperately as the woman he had feelings for could potentially despise him, and he couldn't blame her if she did.

"Oh, calm down Naruto! Just what happened to the Hokage who almost never let anything ruffle him, not even when a man tried to ram the moon into the planet? What happened to person who took down and sealed a goddess within him?" Naruto merely looked down at the ground as Kurama tried to shock him out of it.

"When it comes to love, that man died the moment I realized I was not a good husband and Hinata died right in front of me. I might not show it often, but when it comes to these types of bonds, I'm scared old friend. I would rather fight Kaguya again than lose this kind of chance, and you know it." Kurama slowly nodded; if there was one major regret the blonde had, it was not spending enough time with Hinata, his wife, due to his Hokage duties and making her feel neglected and unwanted for so many years.

Knowing that his shock therapy wasn't working, the fox attempted to distract his friend with the other subject. "Kit, remember what your mate said. She does not necessarily blame you, only the clone. I'm sure that when you two actually talk, all will be resolved. And if she still does not understand," Kurama's eyes flashed red, "then she does not deserve you. I always did find the elves to be similar to the Hyuugas: with sticks up their asses. And I swear, if you continue to mope around, you'll soon become a full blown Uchiha like a certain duck-butt haired friend of yours...maybe it's because of the eyes?" Flashing his eyes up, Naruto glared heatedly at his giant tenant as he looked away while whistling innocently.

Twitching his eyebrows, Naruto raised his hand and softly muttered, "Shinra Tensei!" while focusing, and aiming the usually spherical force into a beam of pure gravitational energy right into Kurama's jaw, slamming it shut and causing the giant fox to flip over, causing a miniature earthquake as he landed back on the ground.

Laughing at the sight, Naruto yelled out, "You done yet?" as Kurama instantly got back on his feet while growling at him, although relieved that Naruto was back to his usual self. Before anything else happened, Naruto raised his hand in an attempt to calm his partner down before informing what his clone had found out about the process of discovering true names.

Kurama rubbed his furry chin as Naruto waited for the ten-tailed fox's response; he did not need to wait for long.

"Kit, from what you told me, it would appear finding your true name means to completely understand yourself, both your strengths and weaknesses, your past and future, your fears and hopes, and possibly more. The surrounding environment might not be necessary, since we only know of one true name situation, but certain images or environments could resemble a person in his entirety, making him deeply reflect and speed up the process of finding his true name." Kurama concluded as Naruto nodded his agreement.

Walking a short distance away, Naruto started his Kamui which would take him out of his dimension. But before he left, he turned around to inform Kurama, "In any case, I will start meditating like I did when I first learned Sage Mode. Except this time, instead of completely emptying my mind, I will try to…look deeper into myself. I suggest you to do the same Kurama. Perhaps if you had known your true name, Madara might not have been able to control you with his Sharingan."

Naruto left after giving his own advice while Kurama twitched his eye at the mention of Madara before looking off into the distance, wondering how a chakra construct like him could begin finding his true name.

Appearing in a black swirl, Naruto stepped out onto the vessel that first brought him to Alagaesia that was currently in the midst of a storm. Despite the raging winds and occasional lightning bolts of the storm, the deck of the boat remained dry and unmarked due to the seals that Naruto had placed beforehand.

Turning back, Naruto yelled at the clone that was currently steering the boat, "Hey, how much longer to Doru Araeba?"

"We've only been at sea for around a day, so it'll take maybe another week of travelling Boss! However, this storm came out of nowhere and is making it difficult to navigate there! I could have scattered it, but then I would have dispersed along with the storm and by then, it would be a pain to get pointed in the right direction." The clone responded as he fought the wheel for control against the violent waves.

"You do know you could have just summoned a clone and have it dispelled to let me know about…all this." Naruto said as he waved his hands around. "It wouldn't even be the first time I got rid of a storm, even if it was out of annoyance."

"I was about to Boss, but then you came out of the Kamui." The clone responded as it fought the wheel for control against the storm.

"Well, I might as disperse the storm now that I'm out here." Naruto said as he started to make hand seals. But then something within him stopped him, and he felt that if he scattered the storm now, he would forever lose something important to him.

" _Just what is this sensation that I'm feeling? It's just another storm, one I have seen hundreds of times, both on land and on sea. Yet, I sense some strange attraction towards it._ " Naruto's clone looked at his creator in confusion, wondering why he suddenly stopped his action towards the storm. " _A strange sensation from something I have seen many times, could it be?!_ " Naruto thought as he connected the dots.

Placing a hand on the edge of the boat, Naruto deactivated the seals that kept the storm at bay with a burst of chakra. Instantly, the rage of the storm fell upon the vessel as it was lashed by a multitude of raindrops that were more like miniature bullets raining down from above.

"Boss, what are you doing?!" Yelled the clone as it was immediately drenched. Naruto did not say anything and merely went to the bow of the boat, sat down while applying chakra so he would not fall off, and then went into meditation. The clone merely shrugged its shoulders and doubled its efforts to not go off course as it complained, "Just why is the Boss that created me like this?"

Within Naruto's mind, Kurama made his presence known, "Kit, what are you doing? Not that I care, but at this rate you might have to either fly or run to this Doru Araeba, because this boat is going to go down soon enough." The fox really did not care either way, since there was no real danger to his host even if the boat went under.

But what concerned him was that Naruto did not even respond to him, which he found odd, since the blonde was always the most talkative out of the two. Now that he thought about it, the fox could not sense the blonde anywhere in his mindscape. Getting on his feet, he went out of the cave he napped in to see if he could find him. Suddenly, Kurama saw something odd forming on the ground of the landscape that Naruto had created for him; it was words that seemed to be coming from a certain place.

"So that is what's happening, although you told me about it, never would have expected you to already find the answer. Truly, the most unpredictable shinobi…or person for that matter." Kurama muttered as he realized what was happening. Turning around, he went back into the cave to start napping again before sending out a thread of chakra to make sure the boat, while still exposed to the storm, would not sink.

Meanwhile, Naruto was meditating and was oblivious to Kurama's yells. However, unlike when he went into Sage Mode when he was a teenager, he was more in a trance, and in that trance he felt as if he was not just seeing the storm, but rather the truth or the essence behind it. And in that moment, he felt a connection he had never felt before, between the storm and him.

" _I can see how similar I am to the storm._

 _As unpredictable as the coming and going of the storm._

 _As fast as the lightning that struck the ocean._

 _As relentless as the pouring rain that showed no visible signs of ending._

 _As ruthless as the piercing wind that could by itself blow his boat to pieces._

 _But there is something deeper, isn't there…_ "

Outside of Naruto's trance, the clone kept staring at his Boss as it did its best to keep the boat on track to Doru Araeba. Inside, the clone was still complaining about all of the shit he and his brother creations had to put up with on an almost daily basis.

" _Why can't we be summoned for something nice, like going swimming or going to a barbeque? Nope, instead we're always summoned as meat-shields or to do something mundane like steering this ship through a damn storm._ " The clone complained as it glared a little resentfully at its creator, but soon let out a sigh as it turned its full attention back to navigation.

For a few moments, nothing unusual happened as the clone successfully fought against the currents that sought to drag them under when suddenly, a strange pulse seemed to emanate in front of it. Whipping its head in pulse's direction, the clone's eyes grew wide as it witnessed something spectacular. The rain, lightning, and wind of the storm that raged as far as a normal person's eyes could see were being concentrated around the still meditating Naruto and his vessel. Soon enough, a hurricane of titanic proportions that consisted of all of the elements of the storm formed around the drifting boat.

All the stunned clone could say was, "Ah crap…not again." before they were engulfed in the hurricane.

What the ones on the boat didn't know was that the pulse of power, along with the appearance of the greatest hurricane in the history of Alagaesia was far from being unnoticed to those back on the continent. While most magic users on the continent felt nothing, the more powerful humans, elves, and dragons certainly did.


	36. Reverberations Through the Worlds

Chapter 36

In the forests of Ellesméra, Arya, Eragon, Oromis, and their respective dragons prepared for war. Eragon and Saphira knew that it was too much to expect to find their true names before they had to get back into the fight. They knew, including Arya, that the next phase of the war would start within the next week if even that long.

As Naruto meditated, Eragon and Arya stood around 10 meters from each other in preparation of a spar with Oromis, Glaedr, and Saphira watching and observing the two. What they didn't notice was a certain clone that concealed itself in a nearby tree as it watched the two circle each other.

Eragon stared at Arya as he slowly circled around the elf's left with his guard up, looking for an opening as she mirrored his movement. As they circled, Eragon speculated what Arya would do first, " _From what I remember, she will initiate the first strike…and most likely a slash at my neck._ " Eragon mentally sighed as he blinked.

The moment he blinked, Arya took the opportunity to perform a chakra-empowered leap, instantly clearing the distance between them and slashed her thin blade at Eragon's neck. Eragon widened his eyes at the sheer speed she used to close the gap between them and the amount of force he could feel through the air as the blade came closer. Using his enhanced reflexes, Eragon backpedaled furiously in order to avoid the blow rather than block it, noticing that there was no way he could receive the slash with a last second defense.

" _Just what was that speed? I knew that even among elves that she's fast, but I've never seen her or any elf move this fast! And this power, just where is it coming from?_ " Eragon thought as he desperately diverted a thrust that if hit, would instantly skewer him through his stomach, wards or no wards.

Soon enough, a flurry of slashes, chops, and stabs came his way, most of those he could barely see or even react to despite the enhanced reflexes he received during the Agaetí Blödhren, forcing him to remain on the defensive. " _This can't go on…it's on a matter of time before she scores a hit on me and when she scores that hit, it's going to hurt if what I've seen hits me._ " Eragon blocked another slash to his neck which for some strange reason seemed to be the main target Arya was going for.

Not much longer after that thought, Arya performed a feint from a slash to the neck to a stab to the right thigh which, thanks to the wards on her sword that blunted it, merely left huge bruise and a slight fracture on his femur. Yelping at the sudden pain, Eragon went to down onto one of his knees before he widened his eyes at a downward chop that was coming right at his head.

As he performed a combat roll to avoid being brained, Eragon thought about what happened in the spar so far. " _Just what is going on? Although this is a spar and injuries are expected, why is she radiating such killing intent that I have only seen on the battlefield? Although, when I did ask for a spar, she didn't appear to be in the best of moods…BARZUL, WHY THE NECK AGAIN?!_ " Eragon hurriedly blocked the strike as he mentally screamed in exasperation when Arya once again tried to behead him with a blunted sword.

Unbeknownst to Eragon, the mental condition of Arya was anything but stable as she slashed and stabbed at the poor Rider. " _Why Naruto? How could you betray my trust so soon after promising to never betray me?_ " Arya thought in anguish as the images of Naruto started to overlap that of Faolin as she unconsciously started to emit the killing intent that stunned Eragon. As the spar went on, the logical part of Arya's mind started to make itself known as her emotions stabilized throughout the fight. " _Calm down, from the look of horror on the clone's face, it was clear that he never meant for me to experience any sort of pain, if anything at all. Besides, this was just a clone; it is not fair to be angry at Naruto for what his clone did. He did mention that his clones sometimes retained his juvenile mindset._ "

Arya parried one of the few blows that Eragon struck at her as she continued her train of thought, " _I will just have a…talk with Naruto. If he were anyone else, I would never forgive him or her._ " And with that thought, she unleashed a stab towards her one of Eragon's eyes that he was not prepared for due to his delayed reaction time from his fracture leg and the fact that Arya started pumping more chakra through her body, increasing her speed to or past the limits of elves. Noting that Eragon would not be able to block the potentially fatal blow, Arya frantically tried to hold back, but was not able to because of not being familiar with the large amount of chakra she used.

The clone in the trees, Oromis, and Glaedr all saw the dangerous attack and were startled, never having thought that Arya, the epitome of self-control, would do such a thing. Immediately, Oromis started to cast words in the ancient language, but uncharacteristically swore when he noticed it would be too late. Immediately sprinting over, the elder elf attempted to interrupt the two but already knew that he would never make it in time. The only thing he could do was to break into Arya's mind, but he would never do that; the manners and customs of the elves were far too ingrained within him to even think about doing such a thing, not to mention the experience he went through when he was almost mentally broken by Galbatorix and his minions.

As Oromis sprinted, the Naruto clone in the trees prepared to perform the Kawarimi jutsu with either a floating leaf, piece of grass, or if needed a log, although even until this day, Naruto still had no idea where these logs came from. But before he could perform the jutsu, his left eye sent out a small shockwave throughout his body. Gripping his eye, the clone almost didn't notice until he saw a sword, from a very familiar elf, coming towards his face. Narrowing its eyes, the clone immediately intercepted the blow that would have dispersed him with his right index and middle fingers.

Once there was no danger, the clone flashed his eyes to where he initially was. " _What was that? All of a sudden my left eye felt weird and the next moment, I'm almost made into a shish-kebab by the lover of the Boss!_ " The clone started to make connections as it completely glossed over the fact Naruto and Arya still were not officially together. Finally, the clone's eyes widened as it realized what just happened. " _So Saskue's beloved ability, Amenotejikara, has also transferred to Boss. Although for some reason, he never tried it, probably because he was still bitter over having the eyes of his best friend implanted into him and causing Sasuke to lose the rest of his vitality along with his eyes. However, that was only his left eye's ability...but what about the right eye?_ " The clone sighed at the memory, knowing that it would take a while before its Boss fully accepted that it wasn't his fault and that Sasuke would have preferred transferring his eyes rather than living for another year or two in a bed, while wondering what the right eye could do.

Just as Eragon and the two elves were about to question how he instantaneously moved to block Arya's sword, a gentle pulse seemed to resonate through the air. The clone immediately whipped its head in the direction of Naruto, somehow feeling that its Boss was behind the pulse. Almost instinctually, the clone sat down in a meditation posture and started to mirror what Naruto was doing on the other side of the continent. Seeing the odd action of the clone, the others in the clearing also turned their heads to see what the clone was startled about when another, but much stronger pulse ran through the air.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze.

Eragon, ignoring the pain in his leg and his recent near death experience, stared in astonishment at the sheer power of the pulse and how it seemed to brush through his mental barriers as if they were not even there. But rather than fear, he only felt warmth and peace as it flowed through him without trying to pry into any of his memories or secrets. Instead, it cleared his mind and allowed him to truly observe himself without the bonds and responsibilities that he was burdened with at such a young age and as he looked, he gained a better understanding of himself. Soon he closed his eyes as he looked inside of himself.

Saphira had long made her way to her other half's side after the clone stopped Arya's sword from skewering her partner. Being a creature that was far more connected to magic and chakra, she could feel what was happening so far away. Getting over her shock of the powerful pulse, she opened up the inherent bond she had with Eragon and gasped at the changes he was going through. After determining that none of the changes were harmful, she maintained the open connection and unconsciously coiled herself around her Rider, closed her eyes, and allowed the strange force to run through her mind.

Oromis and Glaedr, with their centuries worth of experience knew exactly was going on but because of that were both far more astounded than either Eragon or Saphira. " _Glaedr, how could this be possible? While in the past there were several incidents where the awakening of one's true name affected the surrounding area, they were nothing compared to this! It is as if the entire continent…nay, the planet itself is responding to its call._ " Oromis shuddered at the sheer power as more and more pulses started to reverberate through the air. " _But Oromis, did you not feel the warmth of this force? Despite being so powerful, it does not feel as if the forest around us is fighting with itself or being corrupted. Rather, it's as if everything is sharing their energy with whoever is causing such a phenomenon. And I think we both know who it is._ " The old pair looked at each other before smirking, " _Naruto._ "

Arya, who had dropped her sword after the clone stopped it, stood there, stunned by both the sheer power and the familiarity of the energy that was washing over her. " _Is that you Naruto? Such power, and yet it is so warm, refreshing, and comforting. This is why I have already forgiven you...but not that clone, we still have to talk about that. Just come back to me safely from Doru Araeha, and soon._ " Arya thought as she dropped to her knees, swearing that one day, she will bridge or at least narrow the gap between them.

In the tower of Uru'baen, a man on a golden throne sat in silence as he felt the same pulses of power that those in all of Alagaesia felt. But instead of feeling pleasant as the energy washed over him, he felt disgust and contempt towards it and whoever caused it.

"Such a nauseating feeling that I have not felt since the days of the Dragon Rider Order. Warmth, happiness…forgiving, all characteristics of the foolish and the weak. Only after complete domination of all of your foes and the destruction of your enemies can you call yourself strong. But this power…is dangerous; I will have to take precautions. But should this person come, I will personally break him and make him my personal dog." Galbatorix started to darkly laugh as he imagined having such a powerful pet do his bidding. "Yes, it will be so! But first, time to end this annoying war. Shruikan!" Pale blue eyes opened up, shining with madness and insanity in the darkness over a hundred feet high, as Shruikan awoke from his slumber, ready to share to the world his pain.

Outside of Alagaesia and on a large island, a small naïve-looking brunette looked curiously in the direction of the pulses on top of a snowy mountain as something in the back of her mind screamed out at her to either end and then consume the possible threat or flee. But this thought quickly erased itself as tall, silver-haired man with a large broadsword strapped to his back appeared behind said girl and laid a hand on her shoulder before asking, "What is it Priscilla? Did you sense something?" only for the now identified Priscilla to shake her head as she dismissed the energy pulses to head back into the lit house behind them, but not without a small and eager smirk on her face that belied her innocent outlook.

Further aways, a young boy and a woman looked up into the sky to see a red comet flashing through the air before promptly disappearing from sight.

Even further out, a fading spirit constantly flickered between many forms eventually stopping in the form of a beautiful woman with red eyes and snow-white hair. If such a woman even slightly smiled, countless men and women would go down on their knees and beg to be her servants. But instead, she appeared exhausted with a heavy frown marring her otherwise perfect features as she mourned her situation. Suddenly, a wave of pure power swept through and around her, taking away the dark bags that were once beneath her eyes. Widening her eyes, the spirit turned towards the source and tried to get closer, but eventually hit a barrier that prevented any further advancement. Frowning, she tried again but eventually gave up and slumped to the ground and murmured, "Please, I cannot hold much longer…this is the final world for humanity, and I am so very tired."

Notes

Amenotejikara – Heavenly Hand Power


	37. I am Not a God

Chapter 37

As the pulses increased in frequency, the Naruto clone continued to meditate. After the elves and Riders got over their initial shock, they looked back at the clone, wondering what it was doing. Oromis and Glaedr knew that it was Naruto that was causing the current situation and were curious about why the clone itself was meditating. However, their questions were soon answered when suddenly, the clone's eyes opened, revealing a glazed over look as its eyes had switched from their sapphire blue to the violet of the Rinne-Sharingan.

Arya was the first to act upon noticing that the clone was not acting as its usual self and took a step towards it while disregarding her discomfort towards it before asking, "Clone of Naruto, are you alright?" When the clone didn't respond, the others frowned as she took another step forward with an arm outstretched, intent on shaking the clone's shoulder. Before she could however, the clone snapped its gaze towards her and as it did, the hurricane that surrounded the original Naruto made itself known to all of Alagaesia.

Rapid winds roared throughout the land as a deluge of rain flooded the rivers of the continent. This was all accompanied by bolts of lightning that did not burn or set aflame grass or trees, but instead created craters wherever they landed, indicating the abnormality of the storm. Yet despite all of this, no harm came to anyone or any sentient being. And in the midst of the storm, the clone mouthed a string of words in the ancient language as the original did the same.

 _I am the wind that will slice apart all barriers that stand in my way._

 _I am the rain that will wear away all opposition._

 _I am the lightning that will strike hard and fast to all those that stand in my way._

 _For none shall stand between me and my way._

Soon after mumbling these phrases, the Naruto's volume grew louder until it was as loud as his regular voice.

 _I want to go home, and yet I also do not, for there is no one to go home to. All of them are either dead or dying and hardly anyone truly knows me._

 _I tell myself that I am no god, just a human, but what kind of man can hold a goddess for so many years?_

 _I believe myself to be no monster, but what kind of man can kill thousands if not millions with one blow? How could some go pale with fright and despair when I merely lift a hand, yet some view that same hand as a symbol of love, hope, and security?_

 _If I had to choose whether to save the innocent, or save the ones I consider precious to me, what will I do?_

Naruto's voice grew deeper and stronger as he questioned who he was, laying bare to all that could hear: his hopes and dreams, his fears and insecurities. It brought up the questions that he always had, but were shoved to the side in order to better operate as the shinobi and Hokage Konoha and the Elemental Nations needed. And as he did, his voice grew to a roar that could have been heard for miles if it weren't for the hurricane that only grew larger and larger as it seemed to absorb the wind, rain, and lightning that swept through Alagaesia.

 _I am a human, yet not a human!_

 _I am a man, yet not just a man!_

 _I am a god, yet not a god!_

 _I am the darkest fear to some, but the brightest hope to many others!_

 _I am the defender of the innocent, but will abandon everything to protect my loved ones!_

The glaze that covered Naruto's and his clone's eyes soon faded as they discovered what kind of person Naruto was. However, the two became troubled when they realized that there was no word in the ancient language that defined an important part of him: chakra. The original Naruto could feel that if he could not get over this obstacle, then the true name he was so close to finding, may just fade away.

As the two meditated, a word suddenly made itself known; a word that seemed to encompass the entirety of the ancient language. When it revealed itself, Naruto somehow knew, that this word was the name of the ancient language.

" _Could this be the name of the ancient language? The word which has been missing centuries ever since the Grey Folk disappeared? How interesting, I bet if I let Arya or Oromis know of this, they would never stop asking me questions about it. But although I trust them, if the name became widely known, all magic would be rendered useless and from I have learnt from the library of the elves, a catastrophe worse than whatever Galbatorix could come up with would occur, and that is something I don't want to see._ " The blonde pondered as he came up what he thought was a bright idea. " _I know, if I can't find a suitable word…I'll just create one!_ "

Back in the mindscape and in a cave, Kurama observed everything that was happening since the start of Naruto's true name awakening. When he first observed the pulses and the words of the ancient language scurrying across the landscape towards wherever Naruto was, he became enlightened on certain things. Imitating Naruto, the giant fox sat in a meditation stance, much like when he gathered Nature Chakra for Naruto when he had fought against Sasuke so long ago. However, after a few moments, Kurama grumbled as he went back down onto his belly, "This just isn't working. I guess meditation is just not for me. Might as well continue watching the show, although I have a feeling that the brat is about to do something either utterly stupid or pure genius."

Coming to this conclusion, the original Naruto exited his meditation stance to stand up on the prow. Unconsciously, Naruto started to unlock some of the many seals that restricted his chakra and as he did so, the pressure around him increased to the point that the storm itself stilled, with the ocean beneath him forming a funnel as water was forced away from him. Lifting his head to the storm sky, Naruto uttered in the ancient language as his Rinne-Sharingan became more and more luminescent, "In the name of the ancient language, I, Naruto Uzumaki, add a new word: Chakra! And in the name of the ancient language, this word shall be hidden for all time except to those I tell it to."

The moment he made the declaration, Naruto could feel as if the chakra within himself, which he already felt was a living being, suddenly come to life with a roar that only he himself could hear. Looking at his body, he could see, with his Rinne-Sharingan eyes, the rapid changes that should have taken years if not decades happening to his chakra pathway system. He looked in awe as his chakra, which was already dense, become at least 2x denser. The chakra pathways that were once entirely distinct from his muscles, bones, and organs seemed to integrate directly into them. If a Byakugan user had taken a single look at him, rather than seeing a chakra pathway system, he or she would have instead seen a mass of chakra, similar to the Bijuu themselves, except still having blood, muscle, and bone. But it was not the physical changes that startled Naruto the most, but rather the new intimacy that he felt with his own chakra and the surrounding chakra.

Closing his eyes, Naruto gave a sigh as he whispered, "So this is what it feels to know myself. Not only has my chakra capacity doubled, even its potency has increased drastically...I already have the same capacity as Kurama did with both his Yin and Yang halves, but with the increased concentration..." Suddenly, another voice entered his mind, but it was not the gravelly voice that he associated with Kurama.

" _Congrats Boss! But do you mind resealing yourself? I can feel your power all the way here in Ellesméra, and it's overwhelming_." Naruto twitched his eyebrows as he recognized it was the clone he left with Arya and Eragon, before he froze.

" _Wait a sec…we're able to mentally communicate?_ " The clone cringed as its head started ring from the astonishment that it heard from its Boss.

" _Apparently, after you found your true name, it seems like us clones are now able to communicate mentally with each other and you._ " Informed the clone as the real Naruto raced through the possibilities that this new ability opened up.

Before he could further communicate with the clone, an annoyed voice grumbled its way into their minds, " _If you are done talking to your clone, get back onto the boat before it sinks and get over into your Kamui!_ " The two rolled their eyes as they ended their mental connection and Naruto, for the first time, realized that they were currently in free fall in the funnel of the ocean that he had previously formed. Hurriedly, he reactivated the seals on the boat that originally prevented it from sinking and watched as the ocean started to rapidly collapse on itself, refilling the void that was once devoid of water.

"Boss, uh, what about me?" asked the clone that was still steering the boat. Performing the Kamui, Naruto looked back at the clone that was still steering the boat. Suddenly, he gave a wide smile, "You didn't really think I didn't hear you or your thoughts…did you?"

With its eyes wide, the clone watched as Naruto disappeared into the Kamui and as tons of seawater approached it and the boat in all directions, "Well…shi-KAITEN" the clone didn't get a chance to finish before it desperately performed the Kaiten of the Gentle Fist Style in order to stay in the world.

"Ha, that should teach my clones to speak behind my back! Oi, Kurama, what did you want?" Laughed Naruto as he went towards the cave that he knew the ten-tailed fox usually napped in.

"Humph, so you found your true name, and even created a new word in a language that apparently controls everything on this primitive continent…anything else?" Kurama snorted as he poked his head outside his cave.

"I sure did," Naruto proclaimed happily until he saw the slightly upset look on his friend's face, "Wait a sec…don't tell me, did you also try to discover your true name, but couldn't?" When the second Juubi snarled at him, Naruto doubled over in laughter as he pointed at the fox, "Was it because you're still hung up about your rabbit…" before he could finish the lighthearted insult, he looked with wide eyes as multiple Bijuudama formed at the end of each of Kurama's ten tails and at his mouth, each easily able to wipe out continents…with all of them pointed directly at him.

"Oh come on." Naruto muttered as he immediately activated his wards, went through a few hand seals and activated his Preta path on the interlocking wooden pillars that appeared after he yelled out, " _Mokuton: Mokujoheki!_ "

Not a moment later, the Kamui dimension was bathed in white light without a single shadow.

When the dust settled, Kurama looked in satisfaction at the broken surface of the jutsu that had in the past, deflected his Bijuudama with ease, came into view as the dust slowly settled. Then he saw purple orbs that shined with annoyance, followed by a slightly ruffled looking Naruto with his seals undone.

Before Naruto could counterattack, Kurama abruptly coughed, "Ehm, as I was about to say, I wanted to ask how exactly did you find your true name? The benefits you received were terrifying, which is an understatement by the way. Just on the surface, can tell that your body is closer to that of a Bijuu, just that you still have blood, muscle, and that other mushy stuff that makes you a human. No doubt, if it weren't for your Uzumaki cells, you would have probably turned into a humanoid Bijuu, unable to improve physically or chakra-wise without much difficulty. This is completely unlike what we read about true name awakenings; for others, their power did not generally increase and even if they did, it was not by much. "

Naruto glared up at the giant fox for a moment longer before nodding his agreement. "I agree with you, the improvements I have gained after being enlightened is mind-boggling, but I think I know the answer to this." He answered as he relayed over what happened to Kurama. The giant fox shuddered as he felt chills going down his spine as he remembered what the blonde said.: " _I am a god, yet not a god!_ " It was one thing to casually say one had the power of a god, but it was completely different when said in the ancient language that did not allow for lies. " _If Naruto is a god, then I can be no less! I am Kurama, the eldest and most powerful of the Bijuu, and now the Juubi, I will not allow a human, even if it is Naruto, to trump me in anything!_ " And with that vow, there appeared a small subtle shift within the fox, but not enough for anyone to feel anything.

The two remained silent in the Kamui dimension until Naruto suddenly cried anime tears, "Because my chakra is suddenly 2x greater and denser and my chakra 'pathways' changed, my control is shot to hell again! Nooooooooo!" Kurama just face-palmed at his container's 'misfortune'.

" _Here we go again._ " Sighed the fox as he retreated back into his cave and closed his eyes.

Notes

I've been feeling uncertain about this chapter so I apologize if it's not up to par. Thank you for reading!


	38. More Training

Chapter 38

Back in Ellesméra, the clone shook his head in exasperation at his creator's antics when he realized that his chakra control had once again got screwed up. Then it almost dispelled when all of a sudden, tens of thousands of minds appeared, instantly filling all of the clones' minds with each other's thoughts. Instantly, all of the training clones and the clone in Ellesméra closed the mental link between them before they were overwhelmed.

" _Well, that's going to take a while to get used to._ " The clone groaned as it gripped its head.

"Hey/Naruto-finiarel/Naruto, are you alright?" Three voices made themselves known when they saw the clone suddenly grip its head.

"It's nothing much, don't worry about it." The clone waved a hand at Arya, Eragon, and Oromis to indicate that nothing was wrong. "However, Eragon and Arya, come over here." The clone chuckled when he saw imaginary question marks appear over their heads as he held out his hands, indicating the two to hold them. Eragon and Arya looked at each other before Eragon soon did what the clone wanted. Arya on the other hand, hesitated a little before also giving her hand. The moment they did, the clone performed a few shunshins to another clearing several miles away from where they came from. Oromis and Glaedr just looked in amusement as Saphira hurriedly leapt into the air to follow her Rider.

" _Well old friend, I have a feeling that Eragon is about learn something that we do not know._ " Oromis sent through their mental link before turning back to his hut to further prepare.

When the clone stopped and let go of the two's hands, Eragon and Arya wobbled and stumbled as they slowly got over their first time traveling via shunshin. "Hey, you two good?" The clone laughed at their clumsiness while the human and elf pair simply glared in annoyance at the laughing clone.

"Na-ru-to!" Arya started to complain after she recovered first, having experienced as she started to glow green. Immediately, the clone stopped laughing as one of Naruto's few weaknesses, righteous female fury, especially from someone he obviously cared about as more than a friend, was starting to happen right in front of it.

The clone immediately dropped to its knees, "Forgive me Arya! It was just a prank." The clone muttered the last word softly. Eragon just sat on the grass, shaking his head at both the dizziness from the shunshin and the antics of the two, " _To think they haven't gotten together yet, unbelievable. It must be because of their age._ "

Before either could say anything more, the clone held out a palm, "Before either of you ask anything, I brought you both here to train and hopefully help Eragon find his true name." While Eragon widened his eyes in anticipation and excitement, Arya slightly narrowed her eyes, feeling that the clone left something out.

"But we only have a week or two at the very most before we must go back to the war. Just how much can you even teach us within such a short amount of time?" Eragon questioned as he knew from experience that a couple of weeks was far from enough to make a difference.

Arya nodded in agreement, knowing that, if Naruto taught what she expected, it would take at least a month before what he taught could be applied to the battlefield. To her surprise, Naruto also nodded, "That would be correct Eragon. If it was only two weeks, even I could barely teach you two anything. However, what if it was not just two weeks?" The clone grinned at the looks of confusion Eragon and Arya displayed which soon turned to that of shock when it suddenly slapped its palms together before placing both on the ground and yelling, " _Jikan Kakucho - Fuuin!_ "

The two soon to be students watched in astonishment as strange ink symbols raced through the clearing, along the trees and was about to enclose the sky when a blue comet slipped past the sealing barrier before it was fully closed and isolated. The clone eyes bulged as a massive amount of chakra was taken from it in order to compensate for the extra, and very much unintended guest.

" _Saphira? What are you doing here?_ " Eragon looked confusedly at the gleaming sapphire dragon before he was again put under the boot, or in this case a heavily armored dragon foot for the second time in his life. " _Fool! Are you really asking me such a question? How about you think about it, think!_ " Saphira roared in their mental link as Eragon winced, his head echoing with the anger and annoyance of his parner. " _Sorry Saphira, I didn't mean to leave you alone. The clone over there didn't really give me much time to recover after being dragged along. But at least you're here._ " Saphira merely snorted as Eragon attempted to push some of the blame on the clone, but in the end calmed down quickly since she was mostly annoyed and not angered at being left behind.

"Although I understand you wanting to follow Eragon, I really wish that you had stayed outside the barrier," said the clone weakly. When it saw Saphira's uncomprehending stare, it continued, "If it was just Eragon and Arya, I could have sustained 4x time seal for these two weeks, but with you added, now I can only sustain a 2x time seal and after that I might just disperse from lack of chakra." Although the dragon didn't change her opinion, she did express some measure of guilt by awkwardly looking away.

"Anyways! Now that everything is set up, how about we get to actual business. Oh, this is going to be so much fun, and don't worry Saphira, I have something special planned for you hohoho..." The clone's eyes gleamed as he widely grinned, sending chills down everyone's spine, even Arya's despite her knowing what kind of training was coming.

One week later in real time, the twelve elven spellcasters that Queen Islanzadí had sent out earlier before the Battle of the Burning Plains arrived at the Varden encampment with the message that the elves were on the war path towards Ceunon and from there, Gil'ead. Ajihad immediately notified the rest of the Varden to start the march to Feinster, which he estimated to take three weeks for the large army as he went out to greet the welcomed reinforcements.

Before the elves could leave to get some rest, Ajihad asked, "What is the situation with Eragon? When can we expect him back?"

The lead elf, a male named Blödhgarm that had wolf-like fangs, blue fur, and yellow eagle-eyes, turned around to answer and question, "Eragon-finiarel is currently training with the one you call Naruto. The last updates Queen Islanzadí received from Ellesméra indicated that Eragon has greatly increased in strength, almost as much improvement after the Agaetí Blödhren. Saphira Brightscales has also somehow greatly increased in size, far more than is normal at her age. Just who is this Naruto?"

Ajihad, Hrothgar and the other commanders paused and turned to each other as they digested and made plans for the upcoming battles. The black leader then thought of what to reveal about Naruto, as after seeing the blonde's display of power, he really did not want to reveal too much and annoy him. Otherwise, instead of the Empire being annihilated, it might even be them. The leader of the Varden then carefully observed the elf as he decided which parts of Naruto he should tell him.

"I myself do not know much about Naruto, other than he is not from this continent and that he is probably one of, if not the most, powerful person here, surpassing even you, the elves, if you do not mind me saying. In addition, he is not one to ever turn his back on a comrade or a cause he believes in. Other than that, there is not much else I know." Ajihad finally answered as he kept most of the details that Naruto revealed to him carefully observed the reactions of the elves. He tensed when he saw the slightly unsatisfied expressions on the faces but soon relaxed when the blue elf nodded his acceptance and turned to leave with the rest of his companions.

As they left, Ajihad turned to _Jörmundur, his second in command, "Jörmundur, I want you to take 5000 men and take Aroughs. We cannot afford to be flanked by possible Empire reinforcements behind us as we continue on to Feinster. Once Arroughs is captured, leave at most 100 men to keep order in the city before joining with the rest of the Varden._ _I will lead the rest of the men to Feinster. Although Feinster is one of the smaller cities of the Empire and should be relatively simple to capture, I have a feeling that Galbatorix has upped the security of the cities leading towards Uru'baen." As Jörmundur nodded his understanding and turned to leave, Ajihad called over to him, "You have a two weeks at the very most to capture Aroughs, remember that."_

 _"_ _As you command, Ajihad." Jörmundur saluted as he went towards his men to prepare for the siege. Soon the entirety of the Varden began to ring with sharpening of blades, the trampling of boots, and the yells of men as the rebels prepared to move out._

 _Meanwhile, Eragon was currently standing foot deep in a man-made lake created by none other than the Naruto clone and was being watched by the other three: the clone, Arya, and a greatly enlarged Saphira. All three watched as they saw Eragon push chakra to the soles of his feet, forming a thin blue barrier that, while a bit unstable, started to allow him to rise to the surface._

 _Saphira, who was now almost the size of Glaedr but still retained her streamlined form, watched in excitement as she saw her Rider starting to develop one of the abilities that Naruto had shown when the Dragon Rider pair first met. When she saw that Eragon had successfully stood on top of the water without sinking for a few minutes, she thought back to what Naruto did to her that let her have such a sudden 'growth spurt'._

 _Flashback_

 _One week into the training, Saphira was watching Eragon and Arya practicing their chakra control exercises with Eragon trying to run up a tree and Arya wobbling on water when she saw in the corner of her eye the clone._

 _"Hey Saphira, how are you doing? I know it must be boring just staying inside the barrier without being able to fly much._ _"_ _The clone asked as he walked over until he was beside her head which was currently laying on her two front feet._

 _"I am happy that Eragon is getting training from you and I can feel just from feeling his mind how much stronger he is in regards to his…chakra reserves. I can also feel that he is slowly using less and less chakra to cast his spells, which is actually the best improvement so far. However," Saphira mentally communicated with the clone, "I just feel so useless! While in here, all I can do is watch and see Eragon and Arya grow stronger but only I am not improving. Even though I did beat the red dragon, he was only a hatchling in experience while I have been through several fights and battles. But it is not good enough when I finally go against Shruikan…I am not enough." Saphira watched as Eragon again fell onto his back after failing to stick to the tree with his feet until she guiltily looked away._

 _Sighing, the clone ran a hand through its hair as it soon realized that despite her size and wisdom, she was still but a child when it came to the number of years she lived outside of her egg. Finally, the clone came to a decision. "Saphira, there is a method to make you stronger, but the thing is, I don't know if it'll even work, or whether it could even harm you. Back home, there were sentient and talking animals that we called Summons, and the most powerful of them could grow to the size of literal mountains, and they weren't dragons. They were animals you would never have expected: toads, snakes, and even slugs. Compared to them, I can see that your chakra pathways are all chaotic, which is probably the reason why you have little to no control over your power. I might be able to change it, but unlike Oromis, this condition has been a part of your race since day one, so I could very well cripple instead. The choice is yours."_

 _The azure dragon stared into the clone's eyes before switching her gaze towards Eragon. She observed that no matter how many times Eragon failed, he always kept going to the point of exhaustion, doing everything possible to be Galbatorix's match. Making up her mind, she looked back at the blonde, "I will do it. I cannot be the only one to fall behind." Hearing her decision, the clone placed its right palm with the sun symbol on Saphira's head as he prepared to use most of its chakra._

 _"Close your eyes, this might hurt."_

 _Soon after Saphira closed her eyes, the clone placed the sun symbol over her head and slowly connected the chakra pathways starting from her head, one by one. Eventually, the dragon could not keep her pain from spilling into the mental bond she shared with Eragon. When it did, Eragon immediately whipped his head and ran towards his other half, ignoring the bruises he had formed after falling off the tree dozens of times._

 _"Naruto, what are you doing to her?" Eragon demanded, knowing that the clone would never do anything to intentionally harm her, but still worried when he felt the amount of pain coming through the bond. He grew more worried when the clone did not answer his question, but instead continued to channel chakra through his palm to change the very structure of Saphira's body._

 _Before Eragon could possibly separate the two, Saphira sent an urgent message through their link, "Little One, do not interrupt us. I might be in pain, but I can already sense myself getting stronger. Do not worry about me, I will be fine. Continue your training, we only have three weeks left, if even that long."_

 _The Dragon Rider hesitated, but eventually decided to respect his dragon's decision. Eragon began to leave to continue the tree-climbing exercise, however he patted Saphira's head to comfort her. While he did not want Saphira to go through so much pain for power, he did understand her determination and somehow knew that in the end, the one to truly confront Galbatorix and Shruikan would be him and Saphira._

 _Two hours later, the clone took his hand off Saphira's head and slumped to the ground, completely exhausted and almost at the point of dispersing. The moment he did, Saphira also dropped to the ground with a thud as Eragon and Arya sprinted towards the tired duo. Eragon beside Saphira's head as Arya went down to the slumped clone to stabilize it._

 _An hour passed before Saphira opened her eyes again and the first thing she saw was a worried Eragon looking her over. With an amused shake of her head, she nuzzled her Rider before relaying through the mental bond, "I am alright Little One. Although I feel sore right now, I feel so much more powerful and in control of the chakra running through my body. So…" She would have kept going but was stopped by the ridiculous sight of Eragon's and even Arya's jaws hanging wide open. Before she could ask, the clone that awakened earlier chuckled._

 _"Saphira, maybe you should try again, but this time don't only pay attention to your bond with Eragon." The clone walked off as it went to plan how find Eragon's true name._

 _With a confused gaze, Saphira once again repeated what she said, but this time she too had a silly expression on her face when she realized that instead of just thinking it, she actually said it out loud. "How is this possible?" Just as the dragon was about to further question her new abilities, the clone yelled out at the other end of the clearing._

 _Just as the dragon was about to further question her new abilities, the clone yelled out at the other end of the clearing. "I might have forgotten to tell you…that the Summons in my land were somehow able to speak, dunno how or why, but it was certainly helpful!"_

 _The Dragon Rider pair comforted each other as they discovered the fact that the chakra reserves Saphira had, had grown from what Naruto called mid-chunin to mid-Jonin, a substantial increase that soon made itself known when she felt an overwhelming urge to expel the excess energy and roared out a massive plume of pale blue flame that bordered on white. Out of sight, the clone grunted as it felt another part of its chakra drain in order to keep up the time barrier._

 _"Can't she give me a break already? I'm already on the brink of dispelling from including Saphira within the barrier and now I'm preventing it from breaking apart…ungrateful brat." The clone muttered as it continued to plan on how to awaken Eragon's true name._

 _Flashback End_

The three continued to watch as Eragon started to stably walk on the surface on the water, smiling at the young Rider's expression of awe and joy at doing what he once thought was simply impossible. But as quickly as the clone smiled, it immediately frowned once it received a mental message from the original Naruto.

Sensing something wrong, the two beside him looked at him with questioning looks. "Boss as arrived on the shore of Vroengard." The questioning looks soon switched to those of understanding and slight alarm.

"Do you think he will be alright?" Arya questioned as the clone merely smirked in response.

"Of course, it's the Boss."

Notes

Jikan Kakucho – Time Dilation

Doru Araeba is the capital of Vroengard


	39. Vroengard

Chapter 39

Naruto was currently training his chakra control that was almost back to what it was originally before he found his true name in his Kamui dimension when the clone steering the boat sent a mental message. " _We're here Boss, and at first glance…it looks terrible._ "

Naruto initially smiled at the clone's message until he heard the last part. Frowning, he muttered _Kamui_ to exit and was greeted with a sight that made him wonder what exactly happened to the island. " _Maybe I should have read the book Oromis gave me before I left, but I got completely distracted after I found out my true name and the resulting training I needed to get used to my new chakra._ " Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he just remembered about the book and warnings Oromis had given him before leaving.

Pulling out the book from one of his many seals, Naruto activated his Rinne-Sharingan to speed skimmed the book that should have taken at least a day to finish in mere minutes. As he flipped the last page, he sighed at what turned the island to the way it currently was. According to the book, Vroengard was a paradise for both dragons and their riders. The island was a beautiful, full of evergreen forests that covered its five mountain ranges, golden sand beaches, blue skies and clear water. The capital of the Dragon Riders, Doru Araeba was a magnificent city, situated around a lake that laid within the valley of the five mountains with centuries old architecture marvels that could house even the largest of dragons, who approached the size of some of the Bijuu, if the records could be believed. However, this all ended with the rebellion of Galbatorix and his Forsworn. At the end of the battle, one of the Dragon Riders that had lost his dragon apparently blew himself up and completely decimated the island, but failed to kill any of the enemy except for one of the Forsworn.

" _But now…the island just looks dead. It's as if the very color and life was leached from the place: the sands are bone white, the forests, while still there, are shrouded by a gray fog and even the sky above is covered with such thick clouds that the sun can barely pierce through._ " Naruto sadly thought as he walked along the beach and into the fringe of the forest where the gray fog started. Soon, he felt something foreign trying to enter his body, but such object in question was instantly eliminated upon contact with the chakra in his skin.

The blonde frowned as he noted that the gray fog was still poisonous after all these years as mentioned in the book, "Even now, the fog is still poisonous? Just what exactly did that idiot Rider do? He not only killed the rest of his Order, but even rendered the entire island uninhabitable. But the past is the past, time to see this Doru Araeba." Naruto muttered to himself as he shunshined through the forested mountains to reach the valley that held the remains of the Dragon Riders capital.

Several minutes passed before Naruto stood at the edge Doru Araeba and what he saw both stunned him and saddened him. Immense buildings that could have easily encompassed a small town dotted the valley along with enormous caverns whose depths could not be seen. Once great towers that rivalled the height of the Hokage Rock back home were common to the point the valley floor was hardly visible. But rather than gleaming structures and clean roads, all that was left of the mighty structures were blackened stone walls that were drowned in lichen and moss of every color and the decaying corpses of humans, elves, and dragons.

"This city in the past would have outrivaled any of the hidden villages back in the Elemental Nations, but because of a single group of mad men, all that's left is death and decay." Naruto slowly shook his head as he moved deeper into the dead city. Along the way, he encountered the many corpses of the Dragon Rider Order and truly witnessed just how large some of the buildings were; the largest of the buildings were big enough for Kurama when he was the Kyuubi to comfortably sleep in. But it was when he came upon a particular skeleton that truly stunned him.

" _Oi, Kurama, look at that skieleton! From the size of those ribs, that dragon would have been as large as you were when you were the Kyuubi!_ " Naruto heard the fox snort in contempt as he told him about the dragon skeleton.

" _Humph, despite how big he was, he must have been weak to have been defeated by a much younger Galbatorix and his Forsworn. If it were me, I would have annihilated all of them without any trouble, even when I was just the Kyuubi no Kitsune._ " Kurama bragged as Naruto merely chuckled at his friend's huge ego.

Soon, Naruto arrived at the southern edge of Doru Araeba and raised an eyebrow at a crater that was around 30 feet deep and wide. "Huh, it would seem that it was here that the Rider blew himself and everyone else on the island up. Impressive, the crater is about as big as my old Rasenshuriken, except it also generated this mist that seems poisonous to all living things that are not plants." Naruto stared at the crater a while longer before shrugging; while he was curious on how exactly the Rider caused such devastation, he had seen far worse when Pein had unleashed a massive Shinra Tensei on Konoha.

Going back to the gigantic skeleton of the deceased dragon he had found earlier, Naruto sat on top of the skull which was as large as Saphira before her growth spurt and began to accept the Nature chakra that always tried to enter him. Soon his eyes turned golden as he entered Sage Mode Level 1. Closing his eyes, Naruto searched the entire island for any signs of Eldunari or other chakra signals that might have gone unnoticed by either Rider or Galbatorix. Instead, all he found were a few weak chakra signals that he eventually found out were the few animals and organisms that had mutated to survive in the poisonous fog.

When he did not find chakra signals that could be signs of Eldunari, he sighed in frustration and was about stop when suddenly, he came upon an odd area that he almost missed. " _What is that? There's a certain area that seems to eject the very presence of chakra, yet I almost missed it, how unusual._ " Naruto quickly stood and shunshined over to the area. As he did, he passed more giant buildings that could have each stored a small village. But when he eventually came upon the area, it was not a building, but rather a two hundred foot jagged rock amongst a grove of apple trees that he discovered was the source of the oddity.

"So this is the source, I didn't expect it to be a rock." Naruto chuckled as he activated his Rinne-Sharingan to get a better look at the seemingly innocent rock. But what came next completely surprised him. Expecting to see little to none chakra around the rock, he instead saw a large amount of it coming not from the rock, but from underneath while the surrounding chakra was forced away from the rock. Whipping his head towards the base, he narrowed his eyes as realized that whatever made the rock unusual, it was coming from underground.

" _Man, I wished I had the Byakugan now. With it, I would have been able to easily see what exactly was going on, but now how should I go around with doing this? I could just pick the damn rock up, but then there might be spells that could destroy whatever was under it, which must be important to come up with something so complex as rejecting all incoming chakra but yet allowing such a large amount of it to come out which I almost missed, when I should have easily detected. What to do, what to do?_ " Naruto stared at the rock as he mused on how to go about this without potentially destroying whatever laid underneath.

Pulling out the book, he went for a second read, except this time, actually read through it rather than just skimming it. " _From what I read in the book, this rock is called the Rock of Kuthian…what the!"_ Naruto jerked back and resealed the book when he saw the once disorganized chakra that was emitted from under the stone suddenly target him, in particular his mind. Roaring out in anger, Naruto attacked back with his mind, forcefully shattering the incoming chakra that, from what he could tell, attempted to erase parts of his memory. Although the initial burst of chakra soon ended, a steady trickle still tried to alter the blonde's memory, but not nearly enough that he had to pay attention to its now pathetic attempts.

"What the hell was that? The moment I mentioned, no just thought, about the Rock of Kuthian, the near dormant chakra suddenly tried to erase the memory from my mind. But why? Are the things beneath this rock really that important?" Naruto thought for a moment about what to do before coming to a decision. "Well, I don't want to accidentally break something that could prove useful to Eragon, and he's going to need all he can get if Galbatorix is even half as strong as he'a made to be. Might as well see if my clone in Ellesméra can get me more information." Naruto communicated with his clone as he sat down to wait and mentally sighed, " _I wish I could go back now to see Arya. But although I already miss her, I feel she needs some space to vent for now._ "

The clone was watching Eragon and Arya as they sparred on top of the man-made lake it had created. It chuckled as Eragon's attention slipped and he slightly dipped beneath the water up to his ankles before stabilizing his footing in time to dodge Arya's favorite strike, a beheading slash. The clone was about to stop the spar since it could see how exhausted the young Dragon Rider was when Naruto's message ran through its head.

" _Hey, could you ask Eragon or Oromis about the Rock of Kuthian? There might be something important under it, but I don't want to trigger spells that I can't reach from the surface._ " Nodding in confirmation, the clone made its way up to the still dueling pair and just as Eragon was about to capitalize on one of the rare openings that Arya showed, the clone yelled out, "Eragon, do you know the Rock of Kuthian?"

Promptly after that declaration, Eragon completely lost his attention and instantly sank into the water. Arya merely looked amused at the action before she sheathed her sword and jumped back onto dry land. Sputtering, Eragon soon emerged from the water and mirrored Arya by also jumping out of the lake and onto the grass, although less gracefully due to getting soaked. After he dried himself with a spell, he rounded on the clone, not in anger as it expected, but rather in joy and excitement.

"Did you say the Rock of Kuthian? Are you absolutely sure you got the name right and how and where did you find that name? I've been looking everywhere for that name!" Saphira shared her excitement with her Rider since the two have been annoyed at the lack of information on the Rock of Kuthian despite combing through many books in the elven library.

The clone quickly went through the events of what happened in Doru Araeba as his audience listened in rapt attention as none of them, not even Arya, had ever stepped foot on the legendary Dragon Rider's island. Then it got to the part about the Rock of Kuthian.

"After following the well-hidden chakra anomaly, the Boss came up on this really large rock that was within an orchard of apple trees. Wondering what it was, he went through the book again before finding mention about the Rock of Kuthian." The moment the clone mentioned about the rock, it shot its head up in time to see two strands of chakra that were aiming at both Arya and him. Frowning, the clone soon noticed that the two strands were exactly that, mere strands compared to what happened on the island and could not even breach the time barrier it had set up.

"Clone of Naruto, what happened?" Arya also looked up at the sky, but upon only seeing the usual barrier with ink symbols, she questioned the clone, not understanding the sudden frown that marked its face.

"So it happened again," muttered the clone before looking at the trio who were giving it blank looks, "When the Boss even through about the Rock of Kuthian, the chakra that was emanated beneath it suddenly targeted him in an attempt to erase all mention of the name from his mind." "Of course," the clone looked at Arya when she started to lean a bit more forward after the attempted attack on Naruto, "nothing happened as he's too powerful for his own good…which makes me pretty powerful as well now that I think about it." The trio sweat-dropped as he heard the clone start to mutter about world domination and possibly implementing ramen as an object of worship before Eragon reached out and poked the clone.

"Uh, Naruto? Could we get back to what happened at the rock? You can go plan your…ambitions later." He flinched when the clone suddenly stilled before slowly turning its face towards the voice.

"Hehehe, nobody must know about my plans, not even the Boss! Prepare for your doom…" The clone started to reach out towards Eragon before it was quickly knocked over the head by the sheathe of a certain elf. Dropping down, the clone rubbed its head as it pouted back at Arya before she waved for the clone to continue. Sighing, it soon did.

"So he came to the conclusion that there must be an earth-shattering secret beneath the rock, but he doesn't know whether forcefully breaking through would trigger certain spells that would also destroy whatever was beneath it. So he sent a message to me asking whether any of you knew anything about the Rock of Kuthian, although judging from what happens whenever that damn rock is even mentioned, I doubt it." The clone shrugged in slight frustration until Eragon started.

"Actually, remember when I mentioned about the Menoa Tree that Solembum the werecat had told me?" The clone quickly nodded as it remembered from the original's memories that he did mention that. "So, I'm guessing that this Solembum also told you about the Rock of Kuthian?" Seeing Eragon nod, the clone continued, "What else did he say?"

Eragon rubbed his chin as he dredged up the memory, "Then, when all seems lost and your power is insufficient, go to the Rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls."

The clone thoughtfully mirrored Eragon's earlier actions as it picked through the sentence with the years of experience from the original of looking through encrypted, and oftentimes annoyingly, unclear documents. Finally, the clone came to an answer.

"Obviously, the part about the Rock of Kuthian refers to the giant rock we found in Doru Araeba. As for speaking your name to open the Vault of Souls, I doubt it's just your regular name, but mostly like it's your true name, so the rock won't open up unless you speak your true name. Whether it must be yours or anyone else's, I don't know. However, I expect it must be yours considering when I mentioned the rock earlier, there were actually two weak chakra strands that tried to go through the barrier, both of them directed at Arya and me, but none at you or Saphira. So someone must be controlling that spell to specifically target all others that knew of the rock…except for you." Eragon just stood there slack-jawed as he and Saphira slowly started to understand the immensity of the secret that laid underneath a 200-foot rock, buried beyond the depths of history.

"What do you think is in it?" Eragon whispered as Saphira came closer, hoping against hope that they would get the answer they always wanted to hear.

"Well, it is called the Vault of Souls, and considering the new knowledge that Eldunari are basically manifestations of the dragons themselves, and when they die, their souls then attach themselves to their Eldunari. So, I would guess with certainty, that there must at least be a horde of Eldunari under that rock, if not anything else." The clone watched in satisfaction as the knowledge of there being free Eldunari to help overthrow Galbatorix showed itself in the form of Eragon uncharacteristically yelling out in excitement and Saphira bugling out her joy to the world. Even Arya looked as excited as the two and began to think of ways to transport the Eldunari back to their rightful place in Alagaesia.

"As for the first part of the sentence, 'when all seems lost and your power is insufficient', I can see how you're frustrated at your lack of power, which I understand after you got your ass handed to you from Faolin and his red dragon." The clone smirked as its interruption made Eragon and Saphira growl at him, "But what I don't understand is the very first part. How could anything seem completely lost when the Boss is here!" The clone proclaimed.

The trio covered their eyes as they swore they could see beams of bright light shoot out of the clone's eyes as a burning sun came up behind him with waves lapping at his feet. When it ended, the three merely looked at each other before chalking it up to being one of Naruto's…oddities.

"So now what?" Eragon asked as Saphira wondered the same.

"Now…now we find your true name, and you're not gonna like what I'm about to do." The clone sadly smiled as the Dragon Rider pair started back up to flee.


	40. Terrible Method

If you are easily disturbed by graphical descriptions, then proceed with caution.

Chapter 40

In Doru Araeba, a certain blonde got a message from his clone and frowned at its plan. " _You do know that Eragon and Saphira will never look at you the same way, right? The might even hate you forever_ " An amused chuckle made its away in his mind as Kurama heard what the clone was planning.

" _Yeah, but it needs to be done, otherwise he won't have the strength to go against Galbatorix._ " The fox merely nodded, not at all concerned about what he thought was an ant and a lizard. Several moments of silence passed as the two just sat there, comfortable with not saying anything or doing anything. Eventually, Kurama broke it.

" _Hey Naruto, how did you really find your true name?_ " Naruto slightly widened his eyes at the tone of his friend, knowing that he was being serious this time.

Rocking on his heels, Naruto took a few minutes trying to come up with the best answer before sighing, " _I don't know how to describe it exactly Kurama. But it's just that the moment I saw the storm, something was different. Although we have seen countless storms of that magnitude and greater, there was some strange attraction between the storm and me. I started comparing myself with the wind, rain, and lightning and it sort of escalated from there. Soon I was questioning myself aspects of myself that I was most uncertain of._ " He paused there as he thought back to when he found his true name while Kurama uncharacteristically sat silently, waiting for his container to continue.

In a soft whisper, he continued, "Then came my realizations. I am called a human by so many, yet what kind of human am I if none can compare? Am I god like Kaguya, or am I just somebody with too much power? I have always used my power to protect the ones important to me, yet doesn't the other side of their own people to fight for? What kind of person am I to destroy that kind of resolve? And finally is the question that you have asked me for so many years, yet I have never answered. Who would I choose to save, innocent people, or the people that make…no are my life?" The fox waited with baited breath despite already knowing the answer; it was different when his friend who was normally so immature towards him, his lifelong friend, spoke to him in such a serious tone, as if he was Hokage once again.

Naruto sighed as he revealed his true thoughts on the matter. "I looked inside of myself, and at first I didn't like what I saw. It was as if I was meeting the dark side of myself once again as I watched two situations where on one side were the civilians of Konoha all happy and loyal whereas on the other," The blonde cleared his throat as he remembered, "all of my comrades and my Hinata…all dead or dying. But the worst thing was that instead of looking at me in blame, they just gave a look of acceptance, as if there was no other choice. Then I saw the reverse, with the civilians of Konoha dead with looks of betrayal and helplessness and my comrades, while alive, with looks of both understanding…and disappointment. Both broke my heart, but I decided." The blonde Hokage looked directly at the Rock of Kuthian as he said without any hesitation. "I am the monster that my enemies fear, that is true. And if I must, I will stand on top of a mountain of innocent corpses even if it means letting the people I love survive. That will never change!"

In the mindscape, Kurama rocked back onto his haunches as he stared at the complete confidence his friend had in himself, despite knowing his major flaws that would have made most other humans he knew of go insane from shame and disgust in themselves. " _Do I really know myself as much as I think I do? Although I have always said that I was a mass of hatred and destruction, throughout the years now that I think about it, I haven't really gone on many rampages, ok maybe those few might have been over the top, but hardly enough to be personified as only negative emotions. Add that to my more than a thousand years of existence, and I'm suddenly not so sure of myself. And this was when I was the Kyuubi, but now I'm the Juubi no Kitsune. So just what am I supposed to be? I'm obviously not just an insane mass of chakra…I think._ " Kurama's thoughts stopped there for a moment before sighing, knowing it might take years or even decades just fully understand what he was, never mind who he was.

Sighing in frustration, the fox pulled at Naruto into the mindscape, which surprised the blonde a bit although he accepted the transition. Soon he came face to face with a fox that would have rendered the tallest towers in Doru Araeba tiny. Tilting his head, Naruto waited for the fox to begin.

" _Kit, I should have done this sooner, but establish a link between our senses. With your new grasp on Fuuinjutsu, you should be able to fully link our senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, and even pain. I have a feeling that doing this will be the reason I find my own true name rather than attempting to meditate._ "

" _You sure about this?_ " Naruto asked with a small amount of surprise.

" _Just do it. Besides, if what happens to me after I find my true name is anything like what happened to you, it will be another weapon in our, admittedly large, arsenal. Just when you mate with that female, for Kami's sake, TURN IT OFF!_ " Kurama replied as he yelled out the last part, having already seen enough when the blonde was intimate with Hinata.

" _Sure, sure, I'll get on that. It should be done by tonight if my clone does what I think it's going to do. I just hope she forgives me; after all it was my clone at fault._ " Naruto initially became slightly depressed but then the pair started to evilly laugh, albeit with a tinge of sadness and regret due to the circumstances surrounding their young friend, at least from Naruto's side.

"Uh, Naruto, what are you planning on doing?" Eragon scrambled on top of Saphira, still not used to her sudden increase in height as he sought to stay as far away as possible from the smiling clone that was slowly getting closer and closer.

"Don't worry Eragon, this experience won't damage you physically at all, except maybe your brain. But at the same time, this will only take a minute at most. And in the event you do go slightly insane, I'm sure Saphira will back you up. Now come here!" The clone started to make disturbing grabby motions with his hands as the Dragon Rider pair attempted to fly away, only for them to crash into the barrier and land back down on the ground.

"Never! I may not have a Rider's sword and may never be as powerful as you, but you will never take me alive!" Eragon comically yelled as Saphira roared out her determination to forever protect him.

"Hehehe, you have no choice in the matter. _Tsukuyomi_!" Soon, both Eragon and Saphira were dragged into the red and black world of Tsukuyomi. The two sat simply sat there, wondering how even with their improvements, a clone that has almost exhausted its entire chakra reserve could still bring them into what they considered, his potentially most terrifying technique.

"Welcome to my Tsukuyomi, where I am blah blah blah, you heard it before. Now you are here because this is the only way I could find that would hopefully, almost instantly unlock your true name, find the metal under the Menoa Tree, have Rhunön the elven blacksmith forge you a new sword, and finally get you back to the Varden all within a real week's time." The explained as it sat down in front of the still-wary two.

"So what are we doing here in your Tsukuyomi? The last time we were here, you showed us visions of your past, but what about now? Since this is about Saphira's and my true names, I doubt showing us your memories would do us any good." Eragon quickly pointed out the major flaw that he thought of from his only experience with the Tsukuyomi. Saphira merely snorted her agreement, although she certainly wouldn't say no to seeing more of the blonde's memories, if only to see these gigantic summons that he constantly compared her to.

"True, seeing my Boss's memories would hardly be appropriate in finding your true name. But," the clone paused as it watched in amusement at the confusion in the two's expressions, "what if it were your memories? Living them over and over again, making different decisions, seeing what would have happened if I didn't show up, what if Saphira never chose you but instead for old Galby, the different beginnings, journeys, and ultimately ends of your lives. I would think that should be more than enough to truly find who you are."

"That…that is impossible! There is no way-oh wait, you're basically Naruto. So what do we have to do?" Eragon deadpanned as he found that nothing about the almighty shinobi could possibly surprise him anymore. Even if he discovered that Galbatorix was suddenly turned into a good person by a foreign blonde tomorrow morning, he would only be mildly surprised at the fact that Naruto who didn't want to completely interfere with Alagaesia would do such a thing, before just laughing it off and going off with Oromis to remake the Dragon Rider Order.

"You two don't have to do much, however, I will separate and then reduce the mental link you share such that you won't distract each other. Just…don't get lost in the memories, although I will bring you back the moment I feel either of you is losing it. Just try to stay stable, because every time I save you guys, I lose chakra. After this Tsukuyomi is over, I will dispel, so good luck!" the clone soon disappeared from them as two doors appeared in front of the Dragon Rider pair.

"You ready Saphira?" Eragon asked as he reached towards his door.

"Always Little One, always." Saphira verbally and mentally replied as she placed her nose on her door.

Then all was white as the two disappeared from the sight of the clone who tiredly sighed. "The things I do for my friends, just don't go insane." It thought for a little longer before smacking its forehead, "Oh damn, forgot to mention that they won't have any control over their bodies and will only be able to observe."

For the next few hours in the Tsukuyomi realm, Eragon watched as sometimes his past self never found Saphira's egg and continued to live a normal enough life. He smiled as he watched as Garrow, his uncle who died the Ra'zac tried to find Saphira and him, his cousin Roran, and his surrogate father Brom all lived along with him. However, eventually, he started to feel rather odd, that soon led to confusion.

" _Wasn't this the type of life I always wanted? Peaceful, no fighting, always with my loved ones, just plain normal. Yet I just feel so, bored. Just why? I have everything I could possibly ever want, except for Saphira, Arya, Oromis-elda and Glaedr-elda…_ " Eragon went down a much longer list than he thought possible of what was missing from his non-Dragon Rider life. Then realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

" _I…I don't want to go back. After all of this is done, I don't want to be a farmer again. Even if it was a twist of fate to meet Saphira, I can't ever see myself as anything less than her Rider._ " With that, Eragon felt a part of himself unlock deep within him, as if it was always waiting, waiting for Eragon to finally come to terms with himself.

Soon, he started to hear yelling and screaming and was jerked out of his reverie, only to watch with eyes fill with horror as Carvahall was razed to the ground by a small army of Urgals and Kull. He watched as the same thing that happened in Yazuac, once again happened.

He watched as Garrow died again, except this time, he was straight up beheaded by an Urgal, dying the walls and ground in a bright red.

He watched as Roran, his brave but foolish cousin took down a single Urgal while protecting his now pregnant fiancé Katrina, only to be gored by the horns of one of the 8 foot Kull and witness the same, but now laughing, Kull eviscerate her and rip out the still developing fetus to pin it on javelin in the ground.

He watched as Brom, the ex-Dragon Rider, put up a valiant fight as he slew Urgal after, Kull after Kull, until he inevitably tired out, which another Kull took advantage of, grabbed Brom by the throat from behind, and ripped his head before roaring out in pride in killing the person that took so many of them.

He watched as the townsmen and townswomen he had lived with his entire life shrieked in pain and begged for their lives, only to receive the same answer: death by sword, axe, bare hands, and horns.

He watched as his helpless past self go mad with insanity at the deaths of his friends, relatives, and neighbors and shoot arrow after arrow into the dark sea of Urgals and Kull, only to eventually run out. Without arrows, he watched the past Eragon run at a Kull with a hunting knife, only to be easily knocked down by his target and then curb-stomped in the throat and into the ground, just another death among the hundreds that died that day.

He watched as once everyone and everything was dead, the Urgals and Kull dragged all of the bodies into the center of the town, before piling them up in in a large pile of corpses, with the impaled fetus of his sister-in-law crowning the macabre pyramid.

His heartbeat pounded in his chest as if it was trying hammer itself out, his vision darkened with his tears as he crumbled to his knees.

He broke.

"AAAAAAAHHHH, NOOOO, I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU BASTARDS!" But then he watched as a stray team come back from the forest, and what they carried truly drove him further into madness. It was a sapphire egg that he could hear cry out in hopelessness and despair.

"No, not her too, Saphira! SAPHIRA!" Eragon yelled out until his throat went raw from his screaming. His tears were long used up, but still he cried to the heavens as blood dripped out from the corners of his eyes to the floor as he forgot that none of this was real, that this was but an illusion to help him find his true name.

Soon, he heard steady footsteps approaching him from behind. Whirling around, Eragon took out the substitute elven sword he had been using and hacked out at the sound, not all caring who it was.

"Eragon! Eragon, come out of it, none of this is real." The Naruto clone yelled out at his friend, his heart breaking when he saw a burning town and the corpse mountain in the center as he realized that this must be his friend's home town.

" _Oh Kami, I'm so sorry Eragon, but this had to be done. We can't afford for you to spend days and possibly weeks just to find your true name, otherwise far more of the Varden will die._ " The clone thought sadly as it dodged Eragon's mad slices. " _I really am the scapegoat in all of this, first Arya now Eragon._ " Thought the clone ruefully as it grabbed the sword and threw it away from Eragon's grip, except now the Rider came in with a flurry of disorganized punches and kicks.

"Eragon, come back! Ok, that's enough, time to be physical." The clone said as it punched Eragon in the cheek, knocking the young man to the ground and straddling him to the ground to prevent any further fighting.

Eragon struggled for a while but eventually stopped. As the red haze that covered his eyes slowly dispersed, he realized that he was no longer in Carvahall, but rather in the red-black Tsukuyomi dimension that now had a few cracks. Looking around wildly, he focused his pent up rage and misery at the blonde that was still sitting on him.

"Naruto, how could you? Why did you do this to me? Did you do it for some sick form of pleasure as you watched me lose my mind?" At the last question, the clone slapped Eragon's cheek hard enough that a line of blood trickled from a corner of his mouth.

"ENOUGH! Do you think I wanted to show you that? Do you think I wanted you to witness as your home, your relatives, your friends, and the people you have lived with be slaughtered and destroyed? No one wants to do that." The clone roared out as Eragon looked startled at the clone's outburst, having never been yelled at by Naruto before.

The clone slowly stood up to look at the white moon that hung over the two. "Do you really think I enjoy watching my friend lose his mind?" the clone started softly as Eragon just stared at the blonde clone. "No friend ever wants to see his friend sink into despair, no teacher wants to see his student lose his mind to madness. But somebody had to do it." The clone looked away at the moon and what Eragon saw was an ocean of gentle sadness that suddenly made him look away in shame and regret from his earlier words. "It might as well be the foreigner that you might never see again in the near future. I certainly don't mind being the monster that bears your hatred, it wouldn't be the first time; as long you get to live out the rest of your years in happiness and without regret, that would be more than enough."

Eragon wanted to reach out to the clone that started to stride away, say something, anything! But he simply couldn't, at least not right now.

"Now come, Saphira is just about done with her trial and from what I've seen, it was relatively painless." The clone walked to the door that Saphira had used before it reached in, and brought out the dragon by the neck. Immediately, Saphira bolted to her Rider and protectively stood in front of him, forming a wall of blue scales, claws, and teeth between Eragon and the blonde.

"Eragon, Little One, are you alright? I could faintly feel your pain and anger from the other side, but I couldn't send anything." Saphira hurriedly asked as she felt the full force of the negativity coming from Eragon washing over her like waves. Roaring out, she glared at the clone even though she was on the cusp on finding her true name, the pain she felt from her other half made whatever thanks she originally felt temporarily disappear.

"I can see that I'm not wanted, and I don't blame you. Comfort each other, but don't let this opportunity to find your true names slide." The clone prepared to disappear from their view before slightly turning around to whisper. "I'm sorry." After that, the clone shunshined in a swirl of leaves as he left the pair alone.

Notes

Sorry if it doesn't sound all that dramatic. I am trying to better my descriptions of events, so it's a WIP.


	41. Under the Earth

Chapter 41

Once the clone was out of sight, Saphira turned back and curled around Eragon like she has done many times. She then covered him with her semi-translucent wings while bringing her down to nuzzle him.

"Oh Little One, just what happened to you behind your door? I have never felt such rage and despair from you, even when Garrow and Brom died." Saphira inquired mentally.

Eragon just sat against Saphira's side as he remembered the Carvahall massacre. "I was back in Carvahall, except this time I did not find your egg. Instead, I lived a normal life with Uncle Garrow, Roran, and all the others."

Eragon paused as he softly smiled as Saphira continued to listen, wondering how such a happy setting could induce such rage from her Rider.

"I was happy, happy to see my uncle alive, my cousin finally getting on with his fiancé Katrina, and that there was no need to fight anyone. I was about to be an uncle; can you believe it Saphira? An uncle to the cousin that I considered my brother in all but name." Saphira could feel the joy Eragon had at the possibility of becoming an uncle and welcoming another one into the family.

"The days went on and on, and this odd feeling came over me. Why though?" Eragon mused out loud. "I had everything, a family, peace, and Carvahall. But then I realized something Saphira." Eragon turned towards Saphira and looked directly into her eyes.

"I was bored."

Saphira looked at Eragon in shock. Since the beginning of their journey, she had lost count of the number of times he had pined over his beloved Carvahall and how he wanted to go back there once everything was over. Never in a hundred years did she think the words, 'I was bored' would ever pass his lips, even if she held him under her paw for a year.

"Why? Wasn't it everything you ever wanted? You even just said that there was nothing else you could have wanted. So, just what was missing?" Saphira asked confusedly as Eragon quietly chuckled.

"Silly, I was missing you. Despite being exposed to all sorts of danger and almost losing our lives on multiple occasions, I would never trade you for anything else. Also, after watching myself live a farmer's life with everyone, I understood that…I don't want to be a farmer. I don't want to be ordinary. I don't want to waste away in a desolate corner of Alagaesia for I am a Dragon Rider, not a farm-boy that would put down everything for a hoe and land." Eragon eyes shone as he reveled in finding part of the answer he had been looking for.

"Finally, about time Eragon. Whenever you talked about going back to Carvahall, I swear I wanted to claw my ears out with your ridiculously weak sounding…aspirations. Ugh, it made my scales shiver, and that's not possible!" As Saphira moaned and groaned, Eragon laughed, a sound that didn't belong in the dreary space of the Tsukuyomi. Eventually, he sobered up as his face grew dark.

"But then came the next part." Eragon closed his eyes as he re-witnessed the slaughter of his family and townspeople.

"I watched as Urgals and Kull invaded Carvahall. It was like watching Yazuac all over again, except this time, except what was piled in the middle of the town, were the people I loved and grew up with." Saphira sharply inhaled in horror as Eragon merely looked down at his hands as he tightly gripped them.

"I watched as Uncle Garrow ,Roran, Katrina, and everyone else die in brutal fashion. Not even my nephew was spared, and he was still just a fetus, not even born before he was ripped from his mother's womb. I watched as Brom die a second time, except this time not in one piece." Eragon wept as he recounted what happened to Saphira started murmur sweet nothings through the mental link they shared, doing her best to drive away the dark images that were plaguing her Rider's mind.

"But it was what came next that shamed me. I watched my past self go mad with insanity from all of the deaths, only to be so easily killed by a Kull with a single stomp. I was so weak! I couldn't even protect myself, just how could I protect the ones important to me? All this time, I have never felt so helpless and ashamed of myself as of that moment. And it was at that moment, I realized another part of me, that I think I already knew, but didn't want to acknowledge: I want to be strong, strong enough to protect the ones close to me, strong enough to destroy my enemies, strong enough to overthrow Galbatorix, and finally strong enough to protect all of Alagaesia!" Eragon declared as a barrier within broke, only for an organized flood of words in the ancient language washed over his mind, most of it flowing past him except for a few choice words.

Saphira mentally observed him in awe and joy as she witnessed Eragon's enlightenment, grinning at some parts of his name, while frowning at others. However, she knew nobody was perfect, for where there is light, there is also darkness, and was just glad he had a name to be proud of, despite his short life.

Meanwhile, Eragon reveled in his name. Much like Saphira did, he smiled at the strengths he saw, but also frowned at the many weaknesses that his name listed. But in the end, he accepted them. He knew that true names could change over time and what was once a flaw, could one day become an asset. And being a Dragon Rider – he had plenty of time.

Breaking away from his thoughts, Eragon turned towards Saphira, "What about you? What did you find behind your door?"

With that, Saphira grinned as wide as she could, " _Just like you, I also found my true name! It wasn't too hard for me to find mine; dragons are usually much more honest to themselves than humans, dwarves, or even elves are._ _Remember when we tried to fly to the top of the Beor Mountains?_ " Eragon nodded as slightly shivered at the memory, having almost died from the cold and lack oxygen when they tried to reach the mountaintop.

" _Now imagine all the other times when we had trouble flying through certain situations: through the stormy plains, the Hadrac Desert, the mountains of the Beor Range. When flew through them, I felt as if I could see the wind: as if – the wind was a part of me, not just some external force. Then, like the humans say it, something clicked. I felt the wind integrating into me, sweeping away all of my distractions and outside connections that prevented me from truly seeing myself._ "

Eragon smiled as he listened to Saphira narrate her experience to him, happy that the partner of his life managed to find her true name with relative ease. Suddenly he came up to her ear before whispering a set of words. As he did, a shiver ran through him, as if the sum of his being was somehow transferred to another. Saphira closed her eyes as she mirrored her Rider's actions; she gently brought her mouth closer to Eragon's now pointed ears before softly saying another set words. Together, the two quivered as her scales, for a short moment, gained a blue luster never see before.

After recovering from their experiences, the two stood back up as the clone appeared before them.

"I see that the two of you did indeed find your true names. While I do not see any signs of improvement in regards to you physically or chakra-wise, the way you hold yourselves is vastly different from before." The clone continued to observe the two with its piercing blue eyes. " _Before, Eragon always seemed uncertain of his actions; but now, despite going through such a harrowing experience, his eyes are clear and filled with confidence not born of having powerful allies, but rather in himself and Saphira. Good, everything is going well._ "

The pair watched as the clone nodded its approval before suddenly ending up in the clearing they were in before. The sudden transition slightly startled the two, but due to experiencing the technique before, they quickly regained their bearings.

"Did you succeed?" Arya approached the three as she noted the differences between the old and new Eragon and Saphira.

Nodding, Eragon answered. "Yes, we succeeded, and while I don't want to go through that again," Eragon turned towards the clone before bowing, "thank you for helping us find our true names. It would have taken much longer to find them, if at all."

Clapping its hands, the clone ended the Jikan Kakucho and as the barrier faded, grabbed Eragon's and Arya's hand before shunshining towards the Menoa Tree. Saphira snorted in exasperation as she took to the air to follow the much faster trio.

Less than a minute later, they arrived at the base of the Menoa Tree.

"Damnit Naruto, I really wish that you would give us a heads up before doing that." grumbled Eragon as he and Arya took a couple of seconds to suppress the faint weakness they felt.

The clone snorted as it pointed at the Menoa Tree, gesturing the Rider and the approaching dragon to do what had to be done. Once Saphira touched down on the ground, she and Eragon touched the trunk and were soon whisked away into the Menoa Tree's mind.

The clone and Arya stood a small distance away as they waited for the pair Uncomfortable silence reigned and soon the Naruto clone couldn't take it any longer.

"Arya, do you still blame me for what I did? If it helps at all, the Boss was furious at what I did and is still beating himself up about it." Arya stiffened at the clone's question for a second before relaxing.

"As I said, I do not blame Naruto. If I blame anyone, it's you; then again, since you are a Kage Bunshin, once you disappear I would lose the target of my anger. Maybe I should dispel you right now?" An unnaturally loud click rang unnaturally as Arya's sword partially escaped from its sheath.

Loudly gulping at the only metallic shine present at the tree, the clone slowly backed up, "Now now Arya, let's be civil."

Before the clone had the opportunity to see if Arya would listen to its words, the large network of roots suddenly shifted, displacing hundreds of panicked mice, rabbits, voles, and shrews from their burrows and dens – as well as the clone and Arya. With a small uncharacteristic ' _eep!'_ , which she would later claim didn't happen under pain of death by impalement, Arya fell forward towards the clone, which promptly caught her shoulders and held her steady until the roots beneath them stopped moving. Despite knowing that it was a clone, Arya couldn't help but to blush at the sudden close contact with the blonde.

And as her head laid against her friend clone's chest, she realized something, " _I_ _really do care about Naruto as more than just a friend. Even after his clone's mistake, although I was angry at first, it faded in a short time, something us elves do not do; when we have a grudge, especially at the level of what his clone did, it lasts for years if not decades until it is resolved, in one way or another. But he is different than all the others, and my heart of heart knows it._ _I just hope he feels the same._ "

Sighing, Arya quickly pushed herself off and walked a few steps away before turning, "Do not tell Naruto before dispelling, understood?" The clone quickly nodded as the elven maiden strode towards another clearing to continue her training.

Once she left, the clone broke into a smile, "Well, it would seem that she at least forgave the Boss and if I'm not mistaken, she really wants to see him from her reaction. Now let's see this brightsteel."

Eragon and Saphira stumbled as they were released from the Menoa Tree's consciousness before almost falling over due to the shifted roots. After grumbling a little, Eragon immediately went towards the area that the clone was heading. Once there, he dug into the soil, pulling the large chunk of brightsteel from its earthy prison.

"Saphira, the Menoa Tree spoke the truth, there really was brighsteel that has been missing for the last century…all hidden under her roots."

Before the excited Eragon could continue conversing with the small hill of a dragon, he felt a hand suddenly clamp onto his shoulder. Stiffening, the Rider slowly turned his head towards a now widely grinning clone before he heard, "Hold on."

With that short warning, Eragon was once again flashing through _Ellesméra towards Rhunön the elven smith to forge a Dragon Rider's sword for him._

Seconds later, Eragon once again almost fell to his knees before he stabilized himself and shot a glare at the clone. "Naruto! I swear I'll get you for this someday!"

"Maa maa Eragon, calm down and get your ass over to Rhunön and forge your sword. Also, if she uses the vow she made a long time ago to never make a weapon, tell her that she has two options: control you to create the sword, or let me break the chains that have bound her for so long." Waving his hands, the clone walked towards a nearby tree before lying down to watch the clouds. Twitching his eyebrow, Eragon went to contact the elven smith about forging him a blade that he could call his own.

"I hope this doesn't take too long, otherwise in the worst case scenario, we might have to delay going to Doru Araeba. Only two weeks left till Eragon, Saphira, and Arya have to go back to the Varden. How troublesome," sighed the blonde as it waited for Rhunön to come to a decision.

 _Notes_

 _I have read several reviews that complained about the excess of pity in chapters 10 and 11. I agree with them and have altered those chapters, hopefully they're better now. Thank you for reading and continue to leave reviews!_


	42. Brisingr

Chapter 42

A whole day passed before Rhunön finally made her decision, which irritated the clone at the amount of time that was wasted. It was apparent that the elven smith had chosen the first option, which didn't overly surprise the clone as if it or Naruto failed, then her soul would forever scatter. Soon the forges were lit, but not by regular fire, but by the fires of Saphira herself. After being lit, the clone looked on in amusement as Eragon kept stubbing his toes on every corner possible and jamming his fingers on every other surface.

Still lying down at the base of a tree, the clone complained, "Ugh, this is so boring and the worst thing is that this is probably going to take another day just for a damn sword." The clone knew that they didn't have time to waste and soon came to a decision.

"My chakra reserves are around 20% from when we started, so I can do one more Jikan Kakucho to reduce the amount of time to 12 hours, which will then leave me at 10%. That should be enough to do a _Kamui_ over to where the Boss is, although Saphira is rather large. I mean, she's already almost the size of Gamabunta – and she's still growing!" complained the clone as it started to mark up the perimeter.

Almost half a day later, an elf was slowly woke up in an isolated hut elsewhere in Ellesméra, still recovering from the thrashing he took at the hands of a certain blonde. The first thing Faolin saw when he opened his eyes was a wooden ceiling, but rather than the crude construction of humans, it was the seamless molding of elven singing. Taking in that fact, his eyes widened as he took his first conscious breadth, before promptly coughing out clotted blood from within his lungs. After the coughing faded, the ex-Dragon Rider looked wildly around room, trying to remember what exactly happened to him.

" _I was fighting against the human Rider on top of his gleaming sapphire dragon in the smoky sky of the Burning Plains. His name was – Eragon, how arrogant, to be named after the first Dragon Rider when he's only a mere human. But as much as I hate to admit it, we were even in skills, at least up in the air._ " Faolin frowned at the thought at being matched by not just one of the mortal races, but by the weakest of them all.

Then he started to mentally rant, " _And then even almost severed my dragon's foot with a lucky suicidal move. Just what kind of idiot would jump off his dragon from thousands of feet high just for a chance to heavily wound the other and then place himself in such a terrible position? Still, the look on his face when I completely healed my dragon's foot with a single spell; that put him in his place. But what happened afterwards, how did I end up like this…?_ " The elf chuckled louder and louder when he remembered how he was about to cripple Eragon and bring the two back for breeding purposes.

But then Faolin started shivering when he began to piece the next part together, " _Then he came… that thing. I stabbed him through the chest and he only laughed me! And that red aura, just what was that? His strength, his speed, his sheer power – they were beyond anything I have ever seen: humans, elves, dwarves, Dragon Riders, dragons, or even Galbatorix. Just what is that monster? And Arya…where is she?"_

Struggling to stand, Faolin failed to notice an elderly elf observing him from the doorway, along with a giant golden eye staring with contempt and disgust at the traitor. "I see that you are awake now Faolin, care to explain why you turned traitor to our race? You of all elves, chosen to protect the last free dragon egg and Arya Dröttning, princess of our race, betrayed all of us and even enslaved the souls of countless dragons. What say you?"

Faolin looked at the figure that he used to adore before sneering, "Oromis, a mere relic of the Dragon Rider Order, coward of the elves, and the broken disgrace, you have no right to question me. You have done nothing but sit in the safety of the Du Weldenvarden, just hoping that you would not die before the egg I carried hatched." He paused and pointed at Oromis, who stood silently, waiting for the younger elf to finish. "But you failed; the Dragon Rider that you taught was not my match and the only reason he is not at Galbatorix's feet, is because of that abomination, this…Naruto. How could you bear to let a monster do the work you should be doing- "

Snarling, the hut started to shake at the weight of Glaedr's anger, " _Oromis, let me tear this impudent hatchling apart! How dare a traitor to our race and Alagaesia ignore our sacrifice, our pain, and our sense of helplessness throughout the years, only able to wait and hope that the next Dragon Rider would come, but unable to because of our condition. And Naruto-finiarel has only ever helped us in our efforts and deserves all the respect possible._ "

Not responding to his dragon's anger, Oromis coldly glared at Faolin who was now seething about the closeness between the monster and _his_ Arya, feeling angrier than he had for over a century, "Enough." The younger elf instantly quieted, although he still arrogantly looked at Oromis, madly thinking that the other didn't dare do anything to him due to his status of being a Dragon Rider and belonging to Galbatorix.

Staring into the Faolin's eyes, Oromis continued, "What you might not know, is that your bond with your dragon has been broken."

Whatever remark Faolin was about to make died in his throat. Eyes bulging, he first glanced at his palm, looking for the gedwëy ignasia that all Riders had. But when he didn't see the silver glow, he immediately tried to contact his dragon, the one that hatched for him, only to hear silence. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he tried again and again, refusing to believe that the one connection he had was severed.

But once he was forced to accept that the one bond that truly belonged to him was broken, his eyes turned red as he tried to draw upon the Eldunari that once accompanied him in a small pocket dimension. Realizing that they too were taken from him, Faolin shouted out, " _Thrysta!_ " in an attempt to crush Oromis's heart, only for his target to sigh in disappointment and watch the energy drain from the maddened Faolin.

Finally running out of energy, Faolin stopped his spell as darkness started to color his vision. Distantly, he heard Oromis say a string of words which at first started as a shiver down his spine, before becoming a full-blown panic attack when he realized it was his true name that was being used.

"Faolin, as of this day, you shall be subjected to 100 years of isolation in the deep reaches of Du Weldenvarden, away from all elves and only with nature. Should you show signs of improvement, I will bring you back into the elves, where you will forever stay within the forest. However," Oromis paused as he sharply stared at the panting elf, "if you do not, then I will kill you and wipe your true name from the books of Alagaesia. Your very existence will eventually fade until no one remembers you, not even Arya-svit-kona."

Turning around after giving his ultimatum, Oromis started to walk out of the hut before pausing, "You know, along with the loss of your dragon and Eldunari, all oaths that you took in the ancient language to Galbatorix were also shattered as an unexpected side effect." After hearing that, Faolin snapped his head back, almost breaking his neck, in disbelief.

Watching as Oromis left him to his thoughts, Faolin wondered for the first time in a long time, whether it was possible it was still possible to change. He didn't get much time to think as the orders he received through his true name forced him to stand and start walking out of the hut and into the depths of the forest. But as he did so, he felt lighter than ever in the past year.

As Faolin went to start his 100 year exile, the Naruto clone was pacing impatiently, waiting for Eragon to come out with his new blade.

" _Just how much longer will this take? Any later and my chakra levels might not last through the plan,"_ thought the clone when suddenly, a blue wall of flames erupted out of Rhunön's forge.

Widening its eyes in alarm, the clone rushed in as it unsealed the barrier around the forge. Looking around, the clone stared in shock as it saw what was happening. Eragon was literally on fire with a translucent, sparkling, sapphire-colored sword, that was also on fire, stuck in the ground a few feet away from him.

"Uh Eragon? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but…YOU'RE CURRENTLY ON FIRE!"

Cocking his head at the clone, Eragon wondered what the clone meant before looking down at himself. But when he saw the flames, his eyes widened to comical proportions as he began to run around forge like a headless chicken, before Saphira once again stomped him into the ground.

"Oh quit panicking Eragon; you're running around while on fire is making my head spin! Now carefully take a look at yourself, and you'll see that the fire is not hurting you."

Now that he thought about it, Eragon realized that instead of a burning sensation, all he felt was a cool breeze. Curious of whether it would work, Eragon muttered the the name he gave to his sword, " _Brisingr!_ " Instantly, the flames that surrounded him vanished as well as those around the sword. The Dragon Rider looked at his hands in wonder as he reached out to grab his sword, only for it to be yanked out of the ground before he could do so.

Turning to the hand that snatched away his sword, Eragon imperceptibly winced at the heavily scowling face of Rhunön. Looking away to closely examining the sword from tip to pommel, she looked back up after she finished, "You are lucky I already placed wards against heat and damage on it, otherwise you could have scratched the guard and destroyed the the temper of the blade. Do not drop the sword again Shadeslayer, even if it were to turn into a snake, or I will take the sword back and replace it with a worn hammer, understood?" The elven smith turned her attention back to the blade, somewhat mollified after seeing Eragon apologize.

"From what I have seen, it would seem that you have accidentally found your sword's true name, or at least a major part of it. And if I am not mistaken," Rhunön turned to Eragon, "part of your true name pertains to Brisingr or at least something close to it. And from the lack of response, it seems that only when you hold it will the sword go up in flames."

After Rhunön finished inspecting the sword, she handed it back to Eragon who promptly sheathed it in the scabbard at his side. Turning to the clone, Eragon slightly gestured at himself and Saphira, "Are we ready to go?"

Looking at the two, the clone slightly grinned at how the progress his two students made in a week, even if it was slowed down by its seal. Nodding, "Yeah, it's time to get over to Doru Araeba; the Boss has been waiting for quite a while." Just as the clone was about activate the Kamui, a certain elf tapped its shoulder from behind.

Spinning around, the startled clone found a pair of emerald eyes framed by midnight black hair staring right at it. "You did not think that you could leave me behind, right?" Arya asked with a particular gleam in her eyes, while thinking that there was no way she was going to miss the chance at seeing Naruto, along with seeing Doru Araeba.

"O-of course not Arya, I was just about to go find you." stuttered the clone as it led them away from the blacksmith and towards Oromis's hut. Once they arrived at the clearing, the clone noticed a missing chakra signature, but remained silent as it watched Oromis giving instructions on how to combat the poison that pervaded Vroengard. After seeing that the Eragon, Arya, and Saphira were finally ready, they gathered in the middle of the gathering.

"Is everyone ready?" called out the clone as the others nodded. "Well then, brace yourselves, _Kamui!_ " and with that the group swirled away from Ellesméra.

Notes

Sorry for this filler chapter, I had a really busy irl week so I didn't have much time. Next chapters will really start picking up, let that be my apology for the recent slow chapters. Thank you!


	43. Amongst Ruins

Chapter 43

An hour before his clone initiated the Kamui, Naruto was looking at the seal on his belly while wondering how to do what Kurama wanted.

" _Hmmm, the smallest mistake could possibly drag the both of us to the Shinigami, although I don't know if that would still happen now that we're outside of the Elemental Nations. So rather than completely changing anything, I'll just loosen up the seal. It worked when Ero-sennin did it, although I did lose control of Kurama's chakra, but now that I have full confidence in him, it should be fine to do so._ "

Coming to a decision, Naruto channeled chakra into his hand and laid it above the seal on his abdomen, before turning it slightly clockwise until he heard a small click ring through his mindscape. " _Oi, Kurama, come out and test whether you can integrate your senses with mine!_ "

As he heard a confirming grunt from his furry friend, Naruto thought about the time when he first encountered Eragon and Saphira and how he marveled at the connection between the two. With the seal loosened, the blonde shinobi questioned whether it would be possible to somehow combine that and the Summoning Contracts back in the Elemental Nations.

"It's worth thinking about and I'm sure that furball would prefer being out in the open rather than just feeling what I'm feeling _._ " Naruto mused aloud as he started to ink out a prototype seal that could do the trick.

" _Hey brat, what are you doing now?_ " Kurama rumbled as he adjusted to seeing out of Naruto's eyes.

" _Well, I was thinking about instead of just sensing the world through me, whether I could actually summon you from the seal._ " After hearing Naruto's goal, Kurama looked on with considerably more interest that before as his container continued to go through hundreds of seals in minutes, trying to find the correct combination.

Entering the cave where the fox always slept in, Naruto hollered out, "Oi, Kurama! Get over here and put your hand on this." as he put down the scroll that he had been fiddling around with for the past hour. Knowing exactly what the seal on the scroll was for, Kurama immediately tried to place one of his front hands on it, only to find out that his foot was far larger than the scroll itself.

The pair sweat-dropped as they both just stared at the limb in question. The larger of the two merely sighed as he adjusted the amount of chakra that coursed through his leg and watched it become disproportionally small compared to the other three on his body.

Watching as Kurama dipped his now small enough hand in ink and sign the scroll, Naruto rubbed his chin as he gained a thoughtful gaze, "Kurama, I didn't know that you could freely change your size. How does it work?"

Now done with signing, Kurama turned towards Naruto, "As you already know, Bijuu are massive chakra constructs given sentience by Hagoromo. As such, I don't have a set body and can freely change my size and shape to really whatever I want, although for some reason, I felt disgusted when I tried to change into something other than my Kyuubi form in the past."

Naruto made a thinking pose as he considered what Kurama said before shrugging his shoulders, realizing that nothing really changed. "So, want to test the seal out?"

"Do you even have to ask?" smirked the fox as Naruto grinned back before Kamui'ing back into Doru Araeba.

The second he touched the ground, Naruto bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood before flashing through a series of hand seals that he hadn't used for months before calling out, " _Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Kurama!_ " Immediately, a large amount of smoke puffed out, obscuring the already misty area near the Rock of Kuthian.

As the smoke from the summoning dissipated, Naruto watched as a shadowy figure slowly appeared that…seemed really tiny? His eyes grew to comical proportions as the smoke faded and a ten-tailed chibi fox with red-orange fur black fur around its eyes to its ears and red irises.

Naruto stood shell-shocked, not daring to say anything as Kurama looked around, at first exhilarated of having a body to himself for the first time in centuries before becoming confused as to why everything seemed so giant to him when he should be towering over everything.

Turning his head, Kurama started to demand, "Hey brat, just why is everything so big? There is no way that those flying worms and humans…" before he saw Naruto towering over him with a terrified expression that the blonde never had even when he poked fun at his 'rabbit ears'.

Backing up at the rapidly devolving expression on the chibi's face, Naruto tried to avert the incoming crisis, "Uh, you know…my clone will soon be arriving with the others in a few minutes, so I really should be preparing for their arri-, "but got bowled over by the deceptively strong fox.

At that moment, the clone back in Ellesméra notified him that they were on the way via Kamui, which distracted Naruto for less than a second before Kurama promptly gained his attention back.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME? WHY AM I CHIBI FOX YOU DUMBASS, FOOL, IDIOT, PIECE OF- "roared out Kurama as he slapped his clawed hands at Naruto, scratching his face until there wasn't much room for more marks.

It was to this scene that the clone and Naruto's companions swirled into existence by the clone's Kamui.

Waving its hand in greeting, the clone started towards Naruto until it realized that something was attacking his original, and that that something looked oddly familiar.

" _Now where did I see that before?_ " thought the clone before it widened its eyes when it counted 10 tails currently stiff and upright behind the now identified fox, " _Wait a second, is that Kurama? No way, I must be seeing things, this fox, while it does have ten tails, is far too small and cute looking to be Kurama, although it is scaring me at how the Boss is getting his ass handed to him._ "

Meanwhile, the rest of the group, after they recovered from the Kamui, just stared with wide eyes and slightly gaping mouths in shocked silence as they watched the most powerful being they have ever known getting his face constantly scratched by a fox barely a foot tall.

"Uh, Naruto? Are you alright over there, or do you need us to get that…fox off of you?" called out Eragon as Saphira and Arya blinked owlishly at the still struggling blonde, unable to believe what was happening before their eyes.

Twitching their ears, Kurama and Naruto froze as they slowly turned around to finally notice that the they were no longer alone.

Swatting away the still raised claws and pulling the chibi fox off of his face, the God of Shinobi, as gracefully as he could, got to his feet and fully showed off the faint red scratches that were only now beginning to heal. Silence reigned near the rock and the only thing that made a sound was the wind in the background as Naruto desperately tried to keep his dignity by impassively staring back at the dumbfounded group. Soon somebody couldn't hold it in any longer.

A small laugh broke through the once tense silence as Arya slightly doubled over, her shoulders slightly shaking as she fully took in the ridiculous sight of her almighty friend who could be mistaken for a god, trying to hide his embarrassment at being scratched by a fox that was barely taller than his knees.

Then, as if a dam was broken, chuckles and snorts of amusement from the rest rang out through the dead city of Doru Araeba, completely ruining the foreboding atmosphere of the capital.

As the laughter died out, Arya rubbed the lingering tears away from her slightly slanted eyes before asking the questions that everyone else but Naruto wanted answered, "Naruto, just what is that fox that managed to injure you, and is that the Rock of Kuthian behind you?" Eragon and Saphira perked their heads up at the mention of the last question, although they also wanted to know more about the first one.

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto lightly glared down at the small fox that glared back with crossed arms before looking back up. "Well, this is awkward." Naruto sighed as he mentally prepared himself for the inevitable flood of questions, "First, this is Kurama, my lifelong companion, also known as the Juubi, which means ten-tails. And second, yes, the rock behind me is indeed the Rock of Kuthian, so Eragon – go do your thing." The jinchuuriki waved at the Dragon Rider pair to approach the rock but was instead bombarded with questions regarding exactly who and what the fox was and whether they could hold him.

At the mention of the last question, Kurama grew wide eyed and immediately jumped onto Naruto's head while tightly wrapping all ten of his tails around the blonde's neck, securely fastening himself to prevent himself from being lifted by anybody.

Growing blue in the face, Naruto begged the others to stop asking about the fox before tapping on the tails strangling him and coughing out, "I give, I give! Now let me go before I pass out…" Snorting, the fox eased the pressure of his tails as Naruto attempted to give a dirty look at his attacker, but failed to do since not even he could see the top of his head without the Byakugan.

"Now, if you guys are done laughing and making fun of me, I say we leave Eragon and Saphira to do whatever they need to do with that damn rock as the rest of us," Naruto said as he gave a glare at his clone who started to heavily sweat and then a soft look at Arya, "settle some… _issues_."

Eragon and Saphira nodded seriously while the clone paled considerably and Arya gently smiled at finally being alone with the actual Naruto. With a quick grab, Naruto flickered away with the clone and Arya in tow as Eragon and Saphira turned to speak out their true names to a rock, not noticing that Naruto didn't answer exactly who or what Kurama was.

xXx

Saphira went first. Clawing the soft ground and arching her neck to the sky, she declared her true name both mentally and verbally with pride. As she did, her scales seemed to gleam and shimmer in the dim light, despite the ever present mist blocking the sun's rays. However, nothing happened.

Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, and mentally praying to all of the gods of both men and dwarves out there that this wasn't some kind of trap and that today might be his last day of freedom, Eragon blinked open his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke out his true name with only his mind, unlike Saphira. Just as the last word of his true name formed in his mind, a thin dark line appeared at the base of the rock when it suddenly expanded fifty feet upward and then to the sides, creating an outline of two broad doors. Golden lines in the ancient language started to flow row after row across the entire surface; a closer look revealed them to be wards against both physical and magical detection.

Once the golden inscriptions and outline were complete, the doors swung open from hidden hinges, crushing the dead leaves and and twigs in front of the rock. Once the doors were fully opened, all the duo could see were descending stone stairs that led into an inky darkness with no signs of ending.

Loudly gulping, Eragon turned towards his life partner, "Well Saphira, you ready for our possibly last day of independence?"

Snorting, Saphira merely poked Eragon in the back, making him almost tumble down who knows how many stairs. "Even if this is our last day of freedom, which I highly doubt, we are in this together," the sapphire dragon answered before chuckling, "besides, even if were caught, with Naruto and Arya near us, there is no way they would allow anything _permanent_ to happen to us. Now stop delaying and get going."

Shaking his head, Eragon shot an amused smile before taking his first steps into the depths of the earth, " _Here goes nothing._ "

xXx

Meanwhile, as the Dragon Rider pair started their journey beneath the Rock of Kuthian, Naruto stopped and placed his clone and Arya down on the ground near the remains of the giant dragon skeleton, whose ribs alone were at least 80 feet long and 15 feet at their thickest, he had found earlier. Placing the two on the ground, Naruto stepped slightly away from Arya while shooting his clone a frown before facing her.

Several moments of awkward silence passed as the two just looked each other, waiting for the other to start.

Finally, Naruto slightly bowed as his blonde bangs shielded his eyes. "Arya, what my clone did to you is unforgiveable and as its creator," Naruto threw another glare at the clone who had the decency to look at the ground, "it is my fault. Your trust in me is something I value above all else, and I betrayed it. Even though I know you say that you forgive me and only blame the clone, I have a feeling it's not that simple." When he saw her starting to protest, he raised a hand to cut her off, "Even if you really did completely forgive me, I don't deserve it. So tell me Arya, what can I do to make this right?"

Arya gazed at her friend, struck slightly speechless by his apology as she thought about what he just said. " _Why does Naruto have to be so stubborn about this?_ " She mentally sighed as she tried to come up with an answer. " _If I did not know him better, I would say he did not trust me, but I know that's not true. It's just his noble streak coming up,_ " exasperatedly thought Arya as she rolled her eyes, " _But what can I do to reverse his thinking? Oh! There was that way he told me before when he was back in the Elemental Nations._ "

Looking into his cerulean orbs, Arya withdrew her gaze as she silently strode away from their owner, who looked on curiously. After stopping around a couple of the deceased dragon's ribs away, she slowly turned while unsheathing her elven sword on the left side of her hip and applying wards to blunt her blade.

Once she fully turned around to face Naruto with her blade now unsheathed on her right, she lifted her left hand before twitching her index finger at him in a 'come hither' motion.

"Draw your blade Naruto-vor and come at me!" Arya shouted over, around 40 feet away from her target.

Eyes now wide, Naruto stared at Arya as if she grew another head before grinning in understanding. Tossing Kurama, who let out an indignant yelp and glared with eyes that promised payback once on the ground, Naruto sent a small burst of chakra into his right forearm where in a small puff of smoke, a double-edged jian with yin-yang symbol on the hilt above a bandage-wrapped handle came into existence in his hand. Muttering, Naruto copied Arya's actions as he too blunted the razor edge. " _This is a good opportunity to practice my kenjutsu, something I never really needed back during my reign as Hokage,_ " thought Naruto as he noticed the curious look that his opponent was pointing at the infamous sword.

As he brushed his hands down the blade while warding, Naruto explained, "This is the Sword of Kusanagi that once belonged to one of the worst and most powerful traitors in my village's history. It is said to be able to cut through just about anything and has a couple of…interesting abilities." Arya slightly raised a midnight-black eyebrow in interest at the description and was about to ask more about it, but then decided to stay silent in favor of asking later.

Mirroring Arya's stance after fully warding the sword, Naruto stood still as he waited for Arya to make the first move. Staring at each other, they both waited for the other to start, knowing that whoever made the first move would be open to counters.

While Arya almost always took the first move in her past spars with Eragon, that was only because she knew that she was still the superior fighter. But against Naruto, she just couldn't take that chance.

Ten minutes of stillness passed until Naruto finally snapped; even after becoming Hokage and learning the value of patience, when it came to fights, he was never one to think or plan too far ahead into the fight, rather letting his instincts take over and only truly using his mind against a worthy opponent.

"Here I come!" Naruto shouted as he blasted forward with a chakra enhanced leap, almost instantly clearing the 40 feet gap as he slashed down with Orochimaru's old sword in an attempt to bisect Arya, only for the blow to be swiftly dodged as she countered with a stab to his side. Soon the two fell into strange rhythm as they struck, retreated, bruised, and sometimes cut each other even with blunted blades.

" _Ugh, she's gotten much faster in both movement and reaction time ever since I kick-started her chakra network,"_ thought Naruto as he ducked under another cut that would have left him headless as he moved closer to punch with the hand without the Kusanagi, before unleashing a strike to the gut that forced the elf to backpedal in order to keep her ribs intact.

Circling each other with the new distance between them, Arya initiated the first strike this time as she came in with a flurry of slashes and stabs that looked like several swords coming at once as they targeted vital organs and limbs. As the blonde dodged and blocked each of the potentially fatal strikes, he realized that with his constant retreat, the giant, pale white rib bone of the deceased dragon was fast approaching.

Quickly coming up with a plan, Naruto placed a foot onto the side of the rib as he continued to slowly retreat backwards, slowly walking higher and higher up the dead dragon until Arya simply couldn't reach him.

Grinning down at the slightly panting Arya, Naruto imitated her gesture that started the duel as the elf merely rolled her eyes before breaking into a small smile of her own as she took her own step up the rib. The blonde waited as Arya did a few test swings with her sword, having never done combat on a vertical surface. After a few seconds, Arya dashed up the dragon bone as she reengaged the dance of swords, sweat and sparks as they continued to climb up the length protruding rib step by step.

Eventually coming to the top of the rib, the God of Shinobi hopped in place as Arya swiped at his feet with enough force that even when blunted, would have done enough damage to regular elves to cripple them for the rest of their eternal lives. As such, Naruto quickly realized that staying on top of rib was extremely disadvantageous to him in that even with the relatively long Sword of Kusanagi, it was difficult to reach, let alone land a solid blow on the elusive elf maiden.

Leaping backwards onto another rib, Naruto slightly panted as he quickly regained his breath even as Arya jumped on top of her own bone pillar as she glistened with sweat and trembled from the unexpected amount of energy, both physical and chakra-wise, to fight parallel to the ground rather than simply on it.

As he watched Arya slowly regain her own breath, Naruto shouted out, "Ne, Arya! Remember when I said that this sword," he pointed at it with his left finger, "has a few interesting abilities?" In response, Arya only nodded, taking every opportunity to regain any amount of stamina.

"Well…get ready…because here's one of them!" Naruto warned as he for the first time in the fight held the sword in both hands, with the right hand further up the hilt than his left, and cocked his arms back while slightly bending his knees and pointing the tip directly at Arya's eyes.

Narrowing her eyes, Arya tensed as she felt intense danger coming from the tip of her friend's sword even though there was no way the blonde could reach her from here. " _The only way he could possibly harm me is if he threw his sword at me and there is no way he is that foolish, so just what is he doing with that stance?_ "

Although he didn't need to say anything, Naruto felt he still needed to warn Arya ahead of time, even if by a second.

"Extend…Kusanagi!"

From Arya's point of view, nothing happened: with the Sword of Kusanagi tip at her eye level, she detected no visual change. Then in the next fraction of a second, her eyes widened as she noticed something dark only a few inches away from her emerald orbs. Barely tilting her head to the side, Arya watched in both fascination and slight horror as the sword continued extend while generating a bloody gash near her eye from the wind pressure from the deadly weapon.

Warily, Arya went to touch the blade, only to notice that it was still extending underneath her fingers. Swiftly looking back, her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she watched the sword continue on, destroying any bony remains in its path.

" _I'm sure that the bones were originally fragile. After all, he's been dead for over a century._ " Arya thought as she watched the blade plow through the last of the bones. " _It should stop when it gets to the end of this skeleton…_ "

Then it started to pierce through all of the houses and towers of Doru Araeba and eventually halfway through the mountains that surrounded the city. Turning her head, inch by inch, back to Naruto who was now sweating profusely at the sheer weight of the elongated blade.

" _Uh, that wasn't supposed to happen. I never tried extending Kusanagi after finding my true name. Who knew that my far more potent chakra would have such an effect,_ " thought Naruto as his arms trembled and knees started to buckle under his 40x resistance seals and supporting the weight of his sword with only his hands and arms. Immediately, he started the process of retracting the blade, only for Arya to jump on it and bound towards him with her sword held up high.

Realizing that even with the speed that Kusanagi was withdrawing, he wouldn't make it in time to dodge or parry Arya's overhead slash as she leapt at him, closing the distance even faster than if she only ran at him. Coming to a decision and not liking it, the blonde re-sealed the sword, surprising Arya as she noticed that the man in front of her was unarmed without any visible methods of defending or retaliating. And because of that, she hesitated for a split second.

That was a mistake.

In a golden blur, Naruto twisted to the side as he _stepped off_ of the rib and shot a fist upward into the curved cross-guard of Arya's sword, effectively ripping it away from her hand as it went flying into the distance, only for it to stab into the ground in next to the dragon's head. Smiling at the shocked expression of Arya, he proceeded exchange punches and kicks as he maneuvered around the trapped and stationary elf.

" _This cannot go on!_ " Arya desperately thought as she winced in pain as the fourth or fifth punch broke through her defenses to her ribs.

" _That is going to leave a bruise tomorrow. When it comes to using swords, I can hold him off if not push him back, but,_ " Arya quickly dodged an axe kick that cracked the bone she was standing on, " _when it comes to pure hand to hand combat, or taijutsu…I'm utterly outclassed._ " She sighed before being clipped in the chin by another kick that this came from below.

" _His sheer unpredictable fighting style that incorporates both fluidity and sheer power at unthinkable angles makes it nigh impossible to track or anticipate his next move with one set of eyes…but what about two or more?"_ Arya's eyes twinkled as she came up with what was either a brilliant or suicidal plan that could potentially break out of her dilemma, _"I know that Naruto will not use ninjutsu or spells against me, as long as I don't go overboard…because he loves the thrill and challenge of the fight._ "

Seeing the sudden shine in the relatively beaten up elf, Naruto slightly slowed down his barrage as he wondered what she was planning, " _Just what are you planning Arya? Your primary weapon is gone, your chakra reserves are probably not even at half, and you have limited knowledge of using chakra other than climbing on walls and water…should fix that next time I train you._ " Naruto smiled with pride as he recalled the fight up till now.

"Well, here goes nothing." Arya muttered as she was able to push Naruto far away enough to perform a very familiar cross seal while shouting, " _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_ " Two Arya clones immediately popped in a cloud of smoke, shocking a now wide-eyed Naruto who was then grabbed by the collar by said clones and thrown towards the ground.

Turning his head towards the fast approaching ground and not liking what he was seeing, Naruto threw out a hand towards the bone pillar while channeling chakra through it, skidding for a foot or two before his feet made contact before raising his head towards his opponent.

"So you're able to create _Kage Bunshins_ Arya! Impressive!" yelled out Naruto as Arya beamed with pride at her accomplishment.

"Just because you said something nice, do not expect me to go easy on you Naruto!" Arya cheekily warned back as they both laughed in excitement and joy at the battle that they could feel was coming to an end.

Gesturing towards her, Naruto smirked, "Well, come on then."

Taking advantage of both her position and numbers, Arya came in as a whirlwind of clenched fists, elbows, and feet as she used the last of her remaining chakra and stamina to try and beat Naruto into submission.

Finally, with a punch to his solar plexus, Arya managed to land a significant blow, shooting the surprised blonde towards the ground and cracking the it where he landed. Groaning, Naruto panted as he started to lift himself out, his bones still a little rattled from the unexpectedly hard hit. If he had looked up, he would have seen three Arya's staring at him with uncharacteristic grins on their faces as they started sprinting down the rib.

However, Arya underestimated the amount of the chakra she had been using with her far from perfect chakra control during the entire fight, from reinforcing her body, climbing up and fighting on 80 feet long ribs, and summoning not one but two _Kage Bunshins_. But what finished off the rest of her reserves was that very punch, a bastardization of Tsunade's technique that was filled with chakra, that managed to solidly dislodge Naruto, a feat that not many could claim after he passed his Hokage title.

With her chakra reserves exhausted, Arya tumbled off of the skeleton and watched with horrified eyes as her clones dispelled themselves to try to increase her chakra levels by even a little as she plummeted towards the ground that would kill her even on her best day.

" _Is this it? Is this how I die? Neither in battle nor in bed, but from falling while sparring with the one I trust the most?_ " Tears ran down her eyes and wind howled in her ears as she grew closer and closer to the ground with her helpless body, " _There's still so much I want to say._ " Seconds before she hit the ground, she closed her eyes as she whispered, "Sorry Naruto-vor…know that I never blamed you."

Just as Arya was about to impact the ground, Naruto finally lifted himself out of the small crater he was partially buried in. Confused at why he wasn't being attacked, Naruto looked to where Arya last was, only to see her almost at the end of her lethal fall.

"No no no no NO! HIRAISHIN!" And in a flash of yellow Naruto disappeared and reappeared a half second under Arya before they cracked ground with her momentum in a cloud of dust and dirt.

As the dust cleared, groans and coughs could be heard.

" _Am I dead?_ " was Arya's first thought as the only thing she could see was a blurred vision of dust, dirt, and mist. But when her sight cleared, she saw the bony ribs and decimated buildings of Doru Araeba, Then the pain of her recently acquired injuries made themselves known with a vengeance as they wracked her body with minute muscle twitches and creaking bones and joints, making her gasp and cough as she took a quick inventory of her injuries.

" _Various cuts and bruises, cracked or fractured ribs and left arm…not bad injuries when I should rightfully be dead and in the ground, literally. But how? How am I not dead? There was only the ground and me in those last few seconds…wait, ground?_ " Her musings were interrupted when said ground started to move under her thighs and was…warm?

Then she quickly sat up and looked down at what she at first assumed was merely remains of the broken stone tiles, only to meet a pair of wide sapphire eyes under sun-kissed blonde hair and above faint whisker marks.

Meanwhile, Naruto too came back to the land of the conscious as he felt the slight burn that always accompanied his accelerated healing, which could also be called regeneration at this point. He groaned in slight comfort as the cuts and bruises mended themselves, leaving little evidence of their existence other than dried blood and ruined clothing.

" _Ow, that hurt._ " Naruto winced as he tried to sit up, but instead felt a soft weight on not only his chest, but rather most of his body, including his arms and legs.

Gulping, Naruto cranked his neck downward and saw the reason; raven black hair cascaded over both his body and the womanly one on top. He watched as she steadily breathed in and out, the way her curves conformed to his body, her eyes and ears as they faintly twitched in her unconsciousness, the red cheeks from their previous exertions and finally her naturally pale red lips that were ever so slightly parted, perfect for kissing.

Then he saw her eyes starting to open and felt as her body started to shift. He had more than enough experience to know where this was going and started to panic. But before he could do anything, his breath caught as his own cerulean eyes stared back into emerald orbs that reminded him of the forest around Konoha during spring and the depths of the ocean that he witnessed during his awakening.

He couldn't look away…and neither could she.

They looked into each other's depths, not conscious of the fact as they did, they drew closer and closer until…

…their faces were mere inches from each other.

"Arya, are you alright?" Naruto breathed out, making Arya's nose slightly twitch at the faint scent of ramen that assaulted her senses.

"Naruto, I'm fine. If anything, I should be the one asking you, considering you are the one that cushioned me from the fall." Arya replied as she idly wondered why his whisker birthmarks were so sensitive, and whether she could touch them again.

Shifting his eyes to the side, Naruto closed them before looking back into her's, "I'm sorry Arya. I'm sorry that my clone violated your very identity. Even this fight, you were closer to death than when Durza captured and tortured you." He sadly smiled up into Arya's fair face which now sported a small frown. "It just seems to me, you've been in more danger than if I wasn't here and I can't help but think," he sighed as he dredged up his darkest thoughts even as Arya drew in even closer, "whether your life would be better without me in it."

At this point, Arya was beyond upset – she was angry.

Angry that her teacher in the shinobi arts would think that extra danger would break her.

Angry that her friend so casually dismissed her opinion.

Angry that the one closest to her, that knew her secrets that she never told anyone would so easily think that it would be better to have never met.

But most of all, angry that the one she accepted to have feelings for was pushing her away.

No, this would not do.

And with an impulse she never thought she had within in her, she snaked her hands into the straps of his shinobi flak jacket

Pulled him up…

…and kissed him.

Notes

This chapter was a difficult one and I am probably the last person that should write a romance between any characters…but I tried. Helpful reviews on how to pace a romance in crossovers such as these would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!


	44. Love

Chapter 44

Time stopped.

The ever present wind, formed by the surrounding sea and drifting through the abandoned capital, was seemingly absent at that very moment.

At least that's what Naruto felt at that instant.

With wide eyes, Naruto felt as soft, supple lips that he didn't want to let go gently caressed his own. The smell of blood and sweat mixed with the heady natural scent crushed pine needles from Arya intoxicated his heightened sense of smell as it slowly clouded his mind. The accelerated thumping of both of their hearts that slowly melded together into one. The warmth of each other's body that could be felt even through their clothes and armor.

Even as his rational thoughts fled, a few more stubborn ones remained in the back of his mind.

" _Arya's kissing me!"_

 _"Is she in love with me?"_

 _"Do I share the same feelings?"_

 _"Am I really over my Hinata's death?"_

That last question stiffened him ever so slightly, but to Arya who was currently kissing him and lying on top of his body, he might as well have punched her in the gut again.

Pulling away to a sitting position, Arya looked down at Naruto with a multitude of emotions. Among those that he could see were: wariness, confusion, hope, but most of all…fear. Not fear of him or his abilities, but rather fear of being rejected by the first person she ever confessed to in her century long life.

Staring at each other for several seconds, Arya broke the silence as she started to look away. "I'm sorry Naruto for suddenly kissing you," she whispered as her black tresses cascaded in front of her face, partially hiding it from view.

"I know you mean well, but when you went on that it might have been better if we never met," Arya looked back at Naruto with a glowing glare that scattered whatever he was about to say to the wind, "I just snapped."

Narrowing her eyes, Arya grabbed Naruto's collar as she hoisted him up to her level, their faces only a foot away. Whatever emotions Naruto saw before was replaced with one of righteous feminine rage, one of his only weaknesses. With a voice that made him tremble, Arya whispered, "Naruto-vor, you may be hundreds if not thousands of times more powerful than I am. You may have been a leader of a shinobi village that could have conquered Alagaesia within a week. You may be a god for all I know with your ability to resurrect the dead."

Bringing his face closer until their noses almost touched, Arya breathed out with a hint of steel, "But you are you, and I am me, so you do not get to decide what is best for me Naruto. I have lived even longer than you have and unlike most of the elves who have never stepped outside of Du Weldenvarden, I have travelled over much of Alagaesia, met and fought against all of its races, survived torture at the hand of one of the evilest beings to walk the land, and fought against armies. I know what is good for me and I do not need anyone, not even you, to determine what is best for me in these kinds of matters."

Arya glared deep into Naruto's cerulean orbs while still holding onto his collar for another second to make sure he understood her message to which the blonde nodded, before softening her stare and relaxing her hold on his collar.

"Naruto, I spent a long time thinking about this, about whether I could trust anyone like this after the death and betrayal of Faolin or after only knowing you for several months. But after you went on your journey to Doru Araeba, I realized how empty I felt without your presence, even with your clone and that's when I truly noticed." Arya softly said in her naturally lilting tone as she gently placed her fair hands on either side of Naruto's face with her thumbs tenderly brushing against his whisker birthmarks, smiling as he shuddered in pleasure.

"I love you, Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki. Your occasional moments of idiocy and silliness, humble nature, absolute loyalty to your friends, mercilessness to your enemies…I love them all. While I may not know all or even most of your past, if you are a reflection of your past, then even if you have killed hundreds of thousands, there is nothing I have to worry because," Arya said as she moved even closer until their foreheads were touching, "you are one of the kindest people I know, from what I have seen on and off the battlefield. And if there is something I have learned over my years of existence, it is that such kindness can only be obtained by being such from the very beginning."

Unused to the sudden outburst from his normally stoic friend, especially when it concerned her love for him, Naruto turned unusually red as Arya's eyes twinkled with laughter in how embarrassed she made the god-like being. When Naruto was about open his mouth, she stopped him by placing a finger on his lips.

"And if all of this is not enough to get through your thick skull, I'll say it again. I…love…you." Arya softly declared as she nervously waited for the blonde's response.

Several seconds passed as Naruto looked deep into Arya's eyes, trying to find any hint of hesitation or doubt, but found none. Slowly raising his own hand, Naruto gently stroked the smooth skin of her cheek, marveling at its softness even as Arya shivered in pleasure at his touch. Several moments passed as the two stayed quiet, just looking at each other even as the sky slowly started to darken.

Finally, with a mental sigh, his lips quirked up into a small, but genuine smile as he looked directly into Arya's shimmering green eyes, "I love you too, Arya Dröttningu, and I think I have ever since the Agaetí Blödhren during our first real talk in my cabin. And…I think I am finally ready to move on from my past for you, Arya-hime."

The smile that Arya let out was like the moon during the darkest of nights; it pierced through the natural gloom of Doru Araeba and seemed to illuminate the area around them as Naruto unconsciously switched to the Rinne-Sharingan in order to perfectly remember this moment for all time. And if Arya was startled at the change, she gave no visible sign of it, making her seem all the more beautiful to him.

" _He loves me…he actually said he loves me._ " is what Arya thought over and over again as she let out another smile that contained all of her repressed emotions for the sometimes dumb blonde that barged into her life and somehow brought out her deepest insecurities that no one else was able to, not that anyone even noticed or even tried.

Despite being over a century old and far from naïve regarding relationships and love, she never expected to be in one so early in her life, never mind with a human. " _Not that he can really be called a human, considering his power and immortality,"_ Arya inner self snarked back before her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed Naruto's lips coming closer. All other thoughts fled from her mind as she blushed before closing her eyes and leaning in to meet him.

Just as they were about to kiss again, the moment was ruined when a light flashed along with a _click_ sound. Snapping their heads towards the disturbance, they stared, dumbfounded as Naruto turned bright red while Arya merely looked curiously at the odd sight of a certain fox holding a camera, not that she knew what a camera was.

"Hohoho, this is great material, the old pervert would have been so proud of you." Kurama cried out as he used his human-like front paws to rapidly take pictures of the new couple, "Maybe I should continue his legacy…I can just see it: Icha Icha Interspecies!"

The fox would have continued if a kunai didn't suddenly slam into his forehead from a now extremely red blonde that was furiously holding another kunai that popped into existence from one of the many seals on his body.

"Damn furball! Did you really have to take a picture of this? And what was that about continuing that pervert's work? You're a fox and you want to write about human porn…you know what, I don't want to know." Naruto muttered in his native tongue as he started to stand, before realizing the rather compromising position that he and Arya were in. Over the course of the confession, the two had shifted until Arya was essentially straddling his lap with her legs unconsciously crossed over the small of his back, locking them in place with no room to wiggle out.

" _Think think think Naruto, how do I make sure that Arya doesn't take my head off with that sword she loves to use. Wait…she doesn't have her sword right now, so maybe I'm safe?"_ Naruto worriedly thought as he remembered just how…conservative she and the rest of her race could be before showing a rather beatific smile, " _Oh, but I can't deny that I want to stay like this for a while longer. It's been nearly forty years since Hinata-chan passed away, and I haven't been with anyone since then. And the fact that it's an absolute beauty, right on top of my lap, who moreover loves me and I her doesn't make this any easier._ "

Naruto mentally groaned as he suppressed his more...lewd thoughts before patting Arya's shoulder, "Arya-hime, as much as I would love to stay here in this _position_ for the rest of the night, we do have work to be done still and should probably go to where Eragon is."

Already tilting her head at the unknown language from both Naruto and the fox, Arya looked down to where Naruto's gaze was, only to finally realize what Naruto knew: that she was straddling Naruto. A position that she would normally either take the head off of the person under her…or mentally erase that person's memory, which now that she thought about it weren't very different. Blushing a crimson that would have done an Uzumaki proud, Arya was about to stand before she spotted a small twitch of amusement at the edge of Naruto's lips.

" _Why this little fox…you find me blushing and being embarrassed funny? Humph, although I'll probably regret this, it is time to show you I mean business!_ " Arya thought with an arched eyebrow, before doing her best at a sultry smile as she slowly tightened her legs around Naruto's waist and steadily grinded herself further into her now confirmed lover's lap even as she watched the blood in his body rush up into his neck.

"Oh…what position would that be?" purred Arya as her lush green eyes hypnotically looked into Naruto's startled ones. But instead of the bothered expression she was expecting, Naruto instead smirked as he realized what Arya was playing at.

Pulling her closer until their chests were pressed tightly together, Naruto could feel her heart hammering against his own as he chuckled into one of her pointed ears. His smirk widened when he felt her shudder when the warm breath from his laughter brushed against her now discovered sensitive ears.

When he teased her enough, Naruto's kawarimi'd with a rock that was next to Kurama and turned in time to see Arya let out a small yelp as she fell the small distance between her and the ground. Rubbing her posterior, Arya shot a playful glare before Naruto shunshin'd in front of her with his hand held out.

Without a second thought, Arya took the hand and stood as Naruto helped her onto her feet. However, he frowned when he saw her wince and hold her side where her fractured ribs were.

Waving at the clone that was on the edge of dispersing, Naruto commanded, "Get over here and heal her before I make you explode."

What most might not know about the Bunshin Daibakuha was that the better the shadow clone, the more pain it felt as its artificial body blew up from the inside, slowly expanding the body until the overloaded chakra had nowhere else to go, but out. And because of this, the clone blanched as it seemingly teleported over to Arya, already running through all of the hand seals for the Mystical Palm technique.

As the clone's hands glowed green, Arya looked to Naruto with a question clear on her face.

"This is our version of healing called the Mystical Palms technique. Right now my clone is scanning you from top to bottom to catalogue all of your injuries before healing them. And then after that, he'll heal your injuries one by one until no trace is left of them." Naruto answered even as Arya prepared another question.

"Why not use the waíse heill spell or the sun on your palm when you healed Oromis and Glaedr? I know that you can use spells and from what I've seen…you never were one to take the more complicated path when there was an easier one." Arya shot back as the clone started on her more serious injuries: her ribs.

"Well, as you know, the usage of spells requires the first of the Eight Inner Gates, although I still don't know why. And the last time I used magic in front of you guys well…" Naruto watched as a look of realization crossed over Arya's face when she remembered how the first time her blonde companion unlocked his magic, "…I see you remember what happened." Naruto wryly said even as Arya muttered about how difficult it was to forget when a certain someone _accidentally_ created a crater with only their chakra without trying.

As the clone worked on her injuries, Arya could feel her fractures knitting back together and exterior injuries fading away.

When the clone was done Arya, without hesitation, spun to face it and kicked the clone where its legs joined. The last expression the bug-eyed clone had before it finally dispersed was an odd mix of understanding, unimaginable pain and confusion that just yelled out 'Why?'

Once the smoke from the clone cleared, Arya turned back to Naruto and evilly grinned when she saw him clutching his own family jewels and rather pale face.

"Now Naruto," Arya smiled sweetly, "I can understand if your clones occasionally slight me, as they are not exactly you. But, should you ever, ever do something like that to me without first asking me, I will show you just how creative I can be with the ancient language and that even a god can cry, got it?" Arya stated with narrowed eyes as Naruto squirmed underneath her glare while wondering if there was a possible ward to shield him from righteous feminine fury.

"Yes dear." Naruto all but whimpered as Arya patted his cheek before walking back towards the Rock of Kuthian with a noticeably extra sway to her hips. Shaking his head, Naruto merely let out a small chuckle as he walked after her before a fox jumped back onto the top of his head.

"Whipped," whispered Kurama and laughed as the blonde underneath muttered at him to shut up.

Fighting the urge to toss the chibi furball to the side, Naruto caught up to the elf, "You know, with the abilities and moves you showed me in the fight, it is time to really up your training."

Arching a regal brow, Arya looked on with interest as she waited for him to continue. "First, I'll teach you the jutsu that has saved thousands of shinobi's lives, including the greatest of us." Naruto paused and saw with some amusement as Arya unknowingly leaned in closer with wide eyes, just as she always did when there was something new to learn.

"It's called the Kawarimi Jutsu, or in your tongue, the Substitution Jutsu. You actually just witnessed me using it when I switched out with a rock when I was under you." Naruto pointed out.

"So that's how you got out from that position. I knew I had you quite _secured_." Arya said as she crossed her arms, finally knowing the reason behind his mysterious disappearance, "I thought that you used your abnormal speed to somehow fool my senses and run out from under me without my notice. But to think there was such a technique that could switch the user with another object…incredible." She whispered out as the potential applications for such a jutsu poured through her mind at an incredible pace.

Before long, Arya asked, "Naruto, is it possible to substitute with a living being?"

Almost instantly Naruto answered, "It is entirely possible to substitute with a living being." As Arya was about to back into her own world, Naruto interrupted it.

"However, you must be careful of substituting with things with chakra in them. The Kawarimi jutsu is regarded as one of the best and versatile techniques in a shinobi's arsenal because of two reasons: speed and efficiency. At the highest level of mastery, as long as one already has a target in mind, the kawarimi becomes an instinct, making it virtually impossible to successfully ambush him or her. And yet, the cost of performing a kawarimi is not much at all that even Eragon could perform it tens of times before getting tired."

Waiting only for a moment to catch his breath, he continued. "But all of this changes the moment you try to substitute with something with chakra. If it is only a small amount, then there might only be the smallest of resistances. But try to substitute with someone like human magician or especially Galbatorix," he placed both hands on Arya's shoulders to emphasize his point, "and the amount of chakra and resistance from the target to perform it will both dramatically increase, to the point that a single kawarimi could potentially exhaust all of your reserves. So think carefully before trying to switch with anything that has chakra Arya, or you may not live to regret it. Now watch carefully."

Naruto proceeded to show her the hand seals: Tiger → Boar → Ox → Dog → Snake and watched in slight pride as Arya perfectly replicated his movements. When she had done that, Naruto pointed at a rock that looked to be of similar size as her.

Nodding, Arya ran through the hand seals carefully before calling out, "Kawarimi Jutsu!"

In less than a second, Arya was treated to a disorienting view of a suddenly distant Naruto with a sizeable stone next to him.

"Not bad Arya. You did well for your first try at the jutsu." Naruto praised her, bringing a small prideful smile to Arya's face before bringing her back down, "However, it can still be better. If you look again, you still fall short of where the rock was and once you understand the jutsu better, you'll be able to use fewer and fewer hand seals until you require none. Only then can you call yourself a master of the technique."

Arya stiffened as she realized the flaws behind what she initially thought was flawless execution of the technique before lightly pouting her frustration at the blonde.

Slightly stunned at the sight, Naruto ruefully thought that he would probably never completely get used to the sudden acts of what he could only describe as sheer cuteness that didn't fit his impression of his raven-haired warrior princess. Seeing that she was still pouting, he lifted his hand rubbed the top of her head.

Before a shocked Arya could react, Naruto withdrew his hand and channeled a hint of chakra into one of the many seals running across his body until a single piece of paper appeared in the same hand.

Holding up the paper, Naruto waved it in front of a bemused Arya, "This is something called chakra paper. Do you remember about the chakra natures that shinobi can have?"

Nodding, Arya answered as she looked at the unassuming piece of paper, "Of course I do: fire, wind, lightning, earth and water. But what does paper have anything to do with them?"

"Correct Arya, those are the five basic chakra natures that all shinobi can have. And this," Naruto waved the paper again, "this paper tells what chakra affinities you have when you channel chakra into them. Now come on, take it and let's see what you have."

"Fascinating," muttered Arya as she took the paper into her hand and channeled her chakra into it.

What came after it shocked Naruto.

The left half turned soggy with water dripping to the ground.

The right half on the other hand mostly turned to dust.

But a large part of one of the corners suddenly caught fire and turned to ash.

As the corner lit up into flames, Arya let out a startled cry and dropped whatever remained of the chakra paper to the ground.

Looking back up, Arya looked as her sensei, friend, and lover widened his eyes with astonishment.

"Huh, I didn't expect that."

Notes:

Bunshin Daibakuha – Clone Great Explosion


	45. Eldunari

Chapter 45

Several seconds of silence passed until Arya grew impatient, "Well? What are my chakra affinities?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Naruto refocused his eyes before offering a wide grin. "Well Arya, you should be proud, for you have three chakra affinities."

Seeing a figurative question mark floating above her head, he continued, "You should know that around 80% of shinobi have only one chakra affinity, 15% have two, and only 5% have three or more. And guess what, you're part of that 5%, Arya-hime."

"As for the three affinities you have, they're: earth and water as your primaries, with a relatively secondary in fire, which is quite unusual considering how fire and water oppose each other." Naruto finished as Arya waited in anticipation for possibly new jutsus.

If there was anything that excited a century old elf, it was new knowledge and adventures and compared to the rest of her relatively sedentary race, she was always considered the "wild" one, not content in simply staying in her mother's shadow and wanting to see the rest of her world. After all, who wanted to spend eternity bored?

"So will you teach me more jutsus regarding these elements?"

Coming in close, Naruto kissed her forehead, causing her to feel a slight burn in her cheeks. "Not now Arya," he placed a finger on her lips to forestall her protest, "there's just not enough time to truly teach you useful elemental jutsus as we have to be back in the war in less than two weeks. Instead…"

Naruto grinned wolfishly, making Arya's eyes widen in horror at whatever upcoming training her blonde was up to. Coming to a decision, rather than waiting to meet her doom, Arya sprinted away without warning, hoping to get a good enough head start towards the Rock of Kuthian and hopefully whatever entrance that appeared there.

Alas, it was not to be.

With a dark chuckle and a single shunshin, Naruto seemingly teleported in front of Arya, "Oh, and where do you think you're going, Arya-hime?"

"I-I was just going back to the Rock of Kuthian. After all, it is not every day that I get to have the honor of possibly meeting with the Eldunari of the vaunted Dragon Rider Order." Arya managed to stutter out before Naruto disappeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection while pulling her lithe form into his embrace.

"To think you would rather meet with a couple of overgrown lizards rather than being personally trained by your one and only boyfriend, woe is me!" Arya rolled her eyes at her first boyfriend's, she was still unclear of what exactly a boyfriend was, antics before blushing pink from the close contact.

"Well, you did mention that we have to be back to the Varden soon, so with your torture, and do not think it is anything less than that Naruto," Arya sent a withering stare as she looked up Naruto who had made himself comfortable in her silky locks who merely shrugged while mumbling 'guilty as charged', "then I can hardly afford any injuries to myself, both mentally and physically, now can I?"

"You are quite correct Arya-hime, but it seems you forgot something," Naruto said as he placed his head on top of hers, "even if you are on the brink of death, I can still heal you to healthy and as for being mentally injured…well that's what training is for – preparation for future fights."

" _Why is he so good at twisting my words for his purposes? Then again, he was the Hokage of his village and must be used to doing so, especially when the people he ruled over and negotiated with were other sneaky shinobi._ " Arya mused before she caught the last part of the training plan that was muttered under Naruto's breath.

"…then we have to do evasive training in order to speed up the process of learning the kawarimi. Hohoho, that's going to be fun, throwing shuriken and kunai at speeds where you can't just dodge…"

Her eyes widening with comical horror, Arya renewed her playful struggle to escape even as she felt the vibration of Naruto's laugh through her back, before he let her go while still holding onto her hand.

Looking down at their connected hands, Arya thought back to when she first saw a couple holding hands. At that time, she didn't understand why holding each other's hands indicated such a strong bond, since to her sharing sweat and blood with each other in battle or better yet, exchanging mental thoughts were better methods of showing intimacy or friendship.

" _However, this is not so bad._ " Arya smiled as they continued their way back to Eragon and Saphira.

When the trio arrived at the apple orchard where the rock was, the first thing they noticed was a dark entrance that wasn't there before.

"Huh, I can't say that's completely unexpected, although this takes hidden entrances to a whole other level." Naruto blinked in mild interest as the concept of hidden doors or chambers was hardly a new one, especially back in the Elemental Nations. But for one to be so well hidden and practically seamless that even he barely noticed anything spoke volumes of the amount of skill it must have took.

While Naruto mused over the new entrance, Arya was intensely studying the fine golden inscription that still covered the stone doors.

"Incredible, no wonder nobody ever found anything related to the Rock of Kuthian. The entire door is covered with spells in the ancient language that would automatically detect the usage of the name, even if it was only thought of. Then whoever controlled it would be able to send out a command to seamlessly delete all memories regarding the name. As for the rest of the inscriptions, they ward off all methods of detection, both physical and mental to a masterful degree." Naruto looked at Arya as she continued under her breath before shaking his head.

"Ah, and there she goes, off into her own world. She always gets like this when I show her something new, when she finds out different ways to manipulate the ancient language, or give her the chance to get stronger." Naruto mused while Kurama lightly smacked the top of his head.

"Dumb brat, you don't have much of a right to say anything about that. After all, who's the one that suddenly had an urge to collect most of the unique weapons in the Elemental Nations before leaving? Who's the one that spent 40 months in Kamui-time purely training except for sleeping and eating? Face it, you two are exactly the same in this regard." Kurama chided his host as he made himself comfortable again in the surprisingly soft blonde hair.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto responded, "I already knew that, chibi baka. After all, that's one of our more endearing traits," only to get slapped in the face by several furry tails.

"We're going to talk more about why I'm so small later, but for now, you and your mate should get down there before these doors close up, or else we'll have to blast our way through…although that does sound like fun." Kurama petered out as he started to fantasize the ways his container would annihilate the rock as Naruto sweat dropped, knowing exactly what his tenant was thinking.

"Arya, we should get going. Whatever is down is with Eragon and if it's a trap, he's going to need us." Naruto gently pulled on her hand that was still interlocked with his own.

Snapped out of her temporary daze, Arya looked down at her hand before looking back up as Naruto motioned towards the still open entrance. Nodding back, the two promptly started their way down into the belly of the earth, but not before Arya muttered, "Naina hvitr," and a directionless white light illuminated the pitch black passageway even as the doors behind them grinded to a close behind them.

 _An Hour Before_

Eragon and Saphira stood just within the entrance, trying to get a good look at whatever was at the bottom, but even with their enhanced vision, they could not see what lied at the end of the passageway.

Using the same spell as Arya would, Eragon muttered, "Naina hvitr," as the darkness fled away from the bright white light that now made itself known behind the duo.

Unlike the absolutely smooth surfaces of the dwarven tunnels, the passageway leading to whatever was at the bottom was like a cave, knobbly and rough. But at a second glance, Eragon noticed that despite the many imperfections, when the walls joined the floor, they flowed smoothly, as if they were melted.

"Saphira, this is not a natural pathway. Dragons were most likely used to melt their way into the earth, and yet they didn't bother hiding the signs, which means they either did this in a hurry, or were confident that the entrance would never be detected."

"You're right Little One, if it was really a trap by Galbatorix or the Forsworn, we would have been trapped the moment we spoke our true names and the fact that passage is so rough and unlike the perfection sought after by Dragon Riders and elves only further supports what Naruto guessed."

"Well, we spent enough time waiting around, let's go." Eragon started down as Saphira padded behind him, the knobbly surface of the highly sloped ground proving to be just as functional as stairs.

A third of an hour passed as the pair continued their way with hardly any change in their surroundings. " _Just how deep does this go?_ " was on both of their minds as they started to feel a gradual rise in temperature.

Soon what was only a rise in temperature became a warmer than comfortable breeze that gently blew against their faces. And with it, Eragon and Saphira saw a faint orange glow in the distance.

"Letta," whispered Eragon as he extinguished the werelight, the orange light they saw in the distance becoming brighter with each step.

" _At the pace we went, we must have reached the mountains surrounding Doru Araeba by now._ " Saphira nodded in agreement at her partner's assessment, making her suspicious of what exactly was in this Vault of Souls that warranted such paranoia.

Soon, they saw the source of the orange glow, a glowing pit that they could clearly make out. But what caught their attention was the archway of the entrance leading into what seemed like an empty space. Like the stone doors of the Rock of Kuthian, the archway was similarly covered in elegant script of the ancient language, except this time they were far more concentrated and carved into the very stone.

"Astounding, if anything the spells sculpted into the stone are somehow even more extensive than the ones before…but wait. Why is one of the spells about masking life signs? Could there be fellow Riders and their dragons under here?" Eragon and Saphira grew excited and hopeful, after barely managing to decipher one of the miniscule lines on the archway, of the possibility of there being more of the ancient order.

Striding into the chamber, Eragon noticed several things at once. First, the chamber itself was huge: two hundred feet across with that glowing pit in the center. Second, the air had grown stiflingly hot, which originated from the pit in the center of the room. Third, that around the outer part of the room were two concentric rings of benchlike tiers—the back one higher than the front—upon which rested numerous dark objects. Fourth, that the wall behind this tier sparkled in numerous places, as if decorated with colored crystal. But he had no opportunity to examine either the wall or the dark objects, for in the open area next to the glowing pit there stood a man with the head of a dragon.

The strange dragon humanoid was made entire of metal, and gleamed like burnished steel. In the fiery glow, that Eragon now identified as a river of magma, his attention was drawn to the muscular physique that could match that of a Kull. And the only clothing covering its rippling muscles was a segmented loincloth crafted out of the same material as the body. Finally, in its left hand was a metal shield while in its right, was a familiar looking blade that he recognized as a Rider's sword.

Walking from a stone throne several feet behind it that contained a clear outline of this _creature_ , Eragon observed that while the way the limbs and joints moved like those of flesh, each step thundered across the room as though a heavy weight had hit the ground.

Finally, stopping thirty feet away from the life-bound duo, the creature pointed its head towards them with crimson eyes that flickered like flames, and let out a mighty roar from its scaled head.

Instantly on guard, Eragon and Saphira readied their bodies and minds for an attack, and not a second too soon. A strange and vast mind touched his, a consciousness that was unlike any other, filled with a multitude disjointed voices and thundering notes. It was unlike anything he had ever faced, except when he was fended off by Faolin back at the Burning Plains.

" _But I am not as weak or tired as I was back then. Saphira, with me!_ "

" _Always!_ " With a growl of defiance, Saphira joined her mind with her Rider, and together resisted the attack of the tsunami of voices. For a moment, Eragon and Saphira held back the attack as they utilized more and more of the chakra that Naruto had unlocked within them and even slightly pushed the voices back to their origin.

But it was not to be, as more and more voices added to their opposition in the mental until finally, they couldn't take it anymore and were overwhelmed and drowned in the storm.

To say Eragon and Saphira were angry would be untrue.

To say Eragon and Saphira were bitter about their loss would also be false.

That is because immediately after their barriers were breached, their memories were ripped apart as the incoherent chorus of voices examined both of their minds. And without memories, there can be no emotion. He could only watch with a sense of indifference as the mysterious invader went through a nook and cranny of his mind, as if through a cracked window rather than from his own mind.

Flashes of Eragon's memories rushed by, from the moment he held Saphira's egg, the training he did with Brom and his death, the meeting with Murtagh son of Morzan of the Forsworn, the rescue of Arya the Egg Carrier of Saphira, and their escape to the Varden. As they picked through his memories, his body bent and flexed in various poses, and then his arm unsheathed Brisingr. They even forced him to cast a spell that he did not know the meaning of.

But just as they were testing his body, they came across a certain memory that shocked them. They watched as some blonde human with fox-like traits somehow breathed fire with a ferocity surpassing any dragon both alive and dead. Sorting through the rest of his memories further astounded them as they watched the impossible happen around him.

The things that Naruto could do alarmed them, which was only compounded when they saw Naruto temporarily bring Brom back from the dead and the destruction he wrought during the Battle of the Burning Plains. The only thing that allayed their fears was the sense that this _Naruto_ considered Eragon a friend and the Varden as allies.

Then they came upon the memory when Naruto activated his One-Tail Version 1 Cloak and panicked when they felt the full brunt of Kurama's maliciousness and bloodlust that only grew stronger after becoming the Juubi.

One of the voices made itself known, " _Just who is this Naruto? Although he seems to be a friend of young Eragon and Saphira, that last memory…is frightening. That amount of bloodlust and hatred completely eclipses what that traitor Galbatorix felt for us; it's like comparing the sun to a flickering torch._ "

Another made itself known, " _He must be eliminated! No human,"_ the word human was sneered out in their collective consciousness, " _should have such power. He is an unnecessary danger that should be taken care of as soon as possible._ "

Soon enough a fierce argument rang out in Eragon's and Saphira's minds as the two dispassionately observed, still unable to express emotions without their memories.

" _Enough!_ " the first voice roared out, bringing a halt to the cacophony. " _This Naruto is already close to this location. When he gets here, then we will see whether he truly is a friend or a foe to be eliminated._ _Now, the youngling's minds are about to be irreversibly broken, heal them before the other human gets here._ "

Parts of the multifaceted entity grumbled in protest at the decision, but ultimately joined and pieced together the young Dragon Rider pair's minds with the precision of a surgeon.

Gasping as their repaired memories were finally rejoined with their minds, Eragon and Saphira immediately erected barrier upon barrier, forming a virtual fortress within their minds. However, they did not show any signs of attacking, having already deduced that the entity, or the Eldunari, did not mean harm and only wanted to check who they were.

" _Saphira, do you think we should somehow warn Naruto?_ " questioned Eragon, although when he thought about it, he wasn't really worried, which was reinforced by Saphira's short bark of laughter.

" _Please Eragon, don't insult our friend and teacher. As if there's a thing in Alagaesia capable of even truly harming a hair on him when he's serious. Not to mention even if he got injured…he would just regenerate instantly._ " Saphira replied, fully confident in the man whose clone managed to do incredible things: extend time, help find their true names within a day, rearrange her chakra pathways so she could actually control the once untamable energy in her body, and teach Eragon how to control his chakra which already substantially boosted his physical and mental prowess.

" _Just remember Saphira what Naruto taught us: even the mightiest can be fell from a kunai in the back. Although I'm not sure if this applies to Naruto anymore…considering how he regenerated from being completely impaled by Faolin now that I think about it._ " The two rolled their eyes as they went over another one of the blonde's ridiculous abilities as the only thing they could do was wait for Naruto and Arya to show up as the archway prevented them from warning them.


	46. Foolishness

Chapter 46

"Ne Arya, what do you think we'll really find down here?" Naruto asked as they quickly made their way into the bowels of the earth.

Thinking about it for a moment, Arya shook her head as she couldn't come up with anything new, "I don't know Naruto, but whatever required such secrecy that the very name of the location has been erased must be earth-shattering indeed. And from the name Vault of Souls, there must be Eldunari as you said and if anything else, maybe words of the ancient language that have been forgotten or lost with time."

Naruto nodded his agreement as they soon came upon the same archway that Eragon and Saphira had come across before, pausing just slightly until they saw the pair near the center of the chamber.

As Arya was about to step into the chamber, Naruto stopped in place, lightly tugging on her hand as he prevented her from entering. Arya was about to ask why until she saw the slightly narrowed look in her man's eyes, which she noticed were switched to his other set of mystical eyes. She reminded herself that she and Naruto would have a talk about themselves after all of this was over.

Carefully stepping back, Arya furrowed her as she took another look into the space, but saw nothing out of place other than their comrades, who were still physically controlled by the vast consciousness that had assaulted them previously and unable to see them through the dark gloom of the room.

"Naruto, what is it? And what are those eyes?" Arya asked since she didn't see anything wrong, although it was clear that he did.

Pointing at his eyes, Naruto explained, "These eyes are called the Rinne-Sharingan and are the reason behind some of my more…interesting abilities, like the Tsukuyomi and Kamui. However, these eyes were not always mine as they used to belong to my best friend, who then proceeded to have me knocked out while on his deathbed and then have his eyes implanted into me as a rather macabre farewell gift."

Arya, seeing how upset the usually cheerful blonde slowly leaned towards him to awkwardly place a short chaste kiss on his lips, still unused to intimate acts when not driven by her impulses like during her confession. Naruto froze at the action, knowing how shy Arya could be in showing emotion to anyone but those she truly trusted. So imagine his surprise when it was Arya who initiated first and second contact.

" _Kit, you're being manhandled by your mate who's new to all of this while you…you've been married for forty years and taught by the Super Pervert toad. Oh, what would he say?_ " Kurama, who was still on top of Naruto's head, mentally snickered as his only friend could only sputter back before he calmed down enough to enjoy softness of her naturally red lips.

The kiss was over in a couple of seconds as Arya pulled back only to wrap him in a gentle hug, laying her head in the crook of his neck as Naruto automatically returned and pressed her supple form against his own.

A moment passed before Arya whispered, "Naruto, I may not know yet know all of your past or what exactly you have gone through, but I have seen the same look that you had in the eyes of the few elves who made friends with humans, only to watch them fade even as they remained young. That look was also present in the eyes of the survivors after skirmishes and battles as they waded through fields of blood, looking for their friends and comrades only to find out that the people they fought for were already gone, with unseeing eyes staring into theirs."

Now Naruto was no stranger to loss or pain, hell his childhood was practically a poster child for pain and abuse. But that doesn't mean the deaths throughout his shinobi career didn't weight down on him as he watched comrades and eventually trusted subordinates die and leave their families behind.

What was worse was when the friends he grew up with slowly died due to old age while he remained in pristine condition. Even when everyone said it wasn't his fault and that there was nothing that he could do, they just didn't understand. They didn't understand how he was finally realizing that for the rest of his very long life, there would be no one that could truly understand or be with him until they too passed away in time.

Eventually, he gave up hope after travelling the entirety of the Elemental Nations and decided to leave the land that he had called home for the past century just because he couldn't stand seeing the same sights, only with people he had never seen or heard of before. After arriving at Alagaesia, he closed that part of his heart, never expecting to open it again, never mind his more personal emotions.

Yet, here he was, spilling his closest memories, one by one.

His thoughts were interrupted when Arya murmured out, "But you are no longer alone, love. You have me, and when an elf loves someone, there is nothing that can separate us, unless someone kills one of us…which I will not let happen."

And with those words, their fate together was sealed as Naruto buried himself in Arya's raven locks while letting a few rare tears slip past his closed eyes. Kurama, although he loved poking fun and embarrassing his host, only felt contentment at seeing the blonde finally start to heal from a scar that he couldn't help with.

A few minutes passed as they were both comfortable in their position and only reluctantly let the other go when they realized that they kept Eragon and Saphira waiting long enough.

However, before she could cross the archway, Naruto stopped her again, "Thanks Arya, I needed that." Naruto said as he gently squeezed her hand that he was still holding, while Arya smiled back at him.

Copying his previous actions, Naruto again pointed at his eyes, "However, I should mention the more basic abilities of my eyes. With them, I can see movements in slow motion, cast genjutsus with eye contact, and see chakra itself. And right now…there's a massive amount of chakra hanging around both Eragon and Saphira, and more interestingly, this chakra mass is made of a multitude of different colors."

Arya immediately looked back at the Dragon Rider pair, almost unable to believe that she couldn't even detect it, even from only a short distance away. Running through the spells that might be useful, Arya asked, "What should we do?"

"I will go into the chamber first and see what I can do for the two brats. If nothing happens, make your way in, but make sure you have a target to substitute with if needed. If something happens, as unlikely as that is, contact Oromis and Glaedr to come to Doru Araeba immediately." Naruto ordered, ignoring the frown that made itself known on her regal face.

"Arya-hime, don't argue with me on this one." Arya slightly shivered as the voice Naruto used differed greatly from the one before. This was the voice of the man who wouldn't hesitate to slaughter armies of hundreds or even thousands if he thought it necessary and experienced what would have broken the will of any elf or dragon and yet came out on top.

This was a voice not to be disobeyed.

Arya stiffly nodded but saw the gentle look in Naruto's eyes and knew that he was only looking out for her with his admittedly greater experience even though she existed longer than he had.

"Fine, but it does not mean I have to like it," Arya huffed out as she slipped her hand away and crossed her arms in front of her leather chest piece, but didn't follow any further.

Naruto returned her nod as Arya shifted her hand to the hilt of her elven blade, ready to dash in if anything happened, damn his orders.

As the last God of Shinobi was about to step through the archway, Kurama who was lounging on top of his head, faded from view as he dispersed himself back into the seal, ready for anything.

Stepping through the archway, Naruto saw what Eragon and Saphira initially saw, from the river of magma flowing past the pit in the middle of the chamber to the glowing crystalline objects that he identified as Eldunari. But it was the same gleaming metallic dragon humanoid that stole his attention, both because of its bizarre appearance and the inhuman chakra signature coming from it.

Nothing happened as Naruto continued towards Eragon and Saphira. But the moment he was about to attempt to free the bound duo, the giant chakra signature that could have equaled that of two Kages suddenly leapt free and straight into his mind.

For a moment, nothing happened as the previously restricted pair stumbled at their sudden freedom. However, in the next instant, the two watched as Naruto narrowed his eyes: the usually laughing blue eyes that he was known for turned into icy chips that belied his rage.

Eragon turned to Saphira, "I know you don't like it when I swear…but I think this calls for it."

The sapphire dragon quickly nodded her agreement, "Go ahead Eragon, I won't stop you this time."

Then they saw the glacier colored eyes turn blood red.

"Oh shit."

 _In Naruto's Mindscape_

When the intruding Eldunari breached into the blonde's mind, they expected to encounter some kind barrier, whether it be a brick wall, barrier made out of the ancient language, or even a steel fortress; they had seen it all before.

However, they saw no such wall.

Instead they were treated to a forest that they could see no end to as they floated as multicolored balls of light.

"What is this _?_ " asked the first voice in wonder even as he watched the mixed reactions of the others, never having encountered a mind that actually took a permanent form. Temporary barriers were one thing, as they had to be first created and then consciously maintained. And it was clear to all that this was not some trick of the mind, but real.

" _But this is just ridiculous,_ " Thought the first as he continued to fly over the trees looking for any semblance of what he considered normality.

But when he looked down, he noticed a shadow covering a large part of the forest that was twice the size of Saphira's. Alarmed, the Eldunari curled his neck up, but saw nothing but the sun beating down on them. Noticing nothing, the Eldunari was about to look back down when he froze.

" _Wait…neck?_ "

Newly formed eyes bulging, the pure white dragon swung his head around, all other worries and fears gone as he watched his long dead friends in their original forms for the first time in a century. They were proud race, dragons: their hides and scales the greatest treasure in the world, the very sight of their glorious forms would end battles in the hundreds as they all knew…that it was pointless to continue.

And yet, because of traitors, no… _humans_ , they who were so great were felled to the point that they were forced to cling to existence – all for the hope of one day bringing the oath-breaker Galbatorix down onto his knees as they watched him burn.

"Umaroth!" the white dragon's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as one of the other dragons, a sandy colored one the size Saphira was before her transformation, mentally roared out a call while pointing with a claw, "Over there! There seems to be a city or village of some sorts around 50 miles away from here!"

Snapping his pale slitted eyes in the indicated direction, Umaroth scouted out the location they were fast coming upon.

"Finally we see something other than these trees! I say we burn it to the ground and finally get answers to who and what this monster is." Roared out the second voice, now a dark brown dragon, the color of mud, and nearly as large as Umaroth.

"No, wait…!" before Umaroth could reign in the unstable dragon, said dragon opened his mouth wide before spewing a blazing red and orange inferno onto the village. As if that was a signal, the remaining 134 dragons, excluding Umaroth, unleashed their own colored flames, intent on destroying the village and routing the blonde's mind for his secrets.

They expected for the wooden village to catch fire, to suddenly see the memories that they were here for.

They were wrong.

Instead, when the fires died out, they froze, unable and unwilling to believe what they saw. The blonde man, Naruto they absently recalled, was standing on top of the walls surrounding the village – without a hint of an injury or burn, with his blue eyes staring angrily up at them.

"You know," grated out a voice that sent shivers down Umaroth's and the other's spines, "you would think that regaining your bodies would make you all in a more agreeable mood. But of course not, instead you try to burn down the center of my mind." The smoke from the dragon flames cleared away and to their despair, not only was the human unharmed, so too were the wooden walls.

"Impossible…not even Vrael or Galbatorix would have been able to escape unscathed, never mind a mere human not bonded to a dragon!" growled out the brown dragon as he prepped to unleash another searing blaze, although the combined might from before did nothing.

"Zoranr, that is enough!" barked out Umaroth even as he started to fly towards the anger-driven dragon, but to no avail. One of the greatest weaknesses that they all shared: should they stop and hover for any reason at all, it took several seconds to work back up to their usual speed, a vulnerability that was usually covered due to the wards their Riders used to nullify any projectiles to a certain extent thrown at them.

Even as the white dragon slammed into the smaller brown, it was too late. The river of flames unleashed from its jaws rushed through the air towards Naruto, raising the already heated surrounding space.

Shaking his head, Naruto flashed through several hand seals before calling out, " _Suiton: Suijinheki no Jutsu!_ " spitting out a veritable flood of water as it rushed to and through the flames, completely overpowering them with a burst of steam and colliding with both Umaroth and Zoranr

" _Again, another one of his unusual abilities. To be able to use water is nothing special, but to create so much as to easily overpower a dragon's flames is impressive,_ " thought Umaroth even as both of them were forced back several feet before the water lost against gravity and their scaly hide. " _And the force behind it is monstrous! I feel as if I got hit directly by a catapult, and if it wasn't water but rock, I would be on the ground."_ the white dragon groaned out at the sheer force of the airborne flood.

After the human 'attacked' Zoranr and their leader Umaroth, the other dragons also opened their mouths to again breathe fire, but before they could do so, Umaroth roared out, "ENOUGH. DO NOT ATTACK ANY FURTHER, OR YOUR SKULL WILL BE UNDER MY FOOT." Almost instantly, the jaws of the other dragons clacked shut, some of them having been under said foot when they were alive. Needless to say, it wasn't something they wanted to experience again.

While Umaroth was still glaring at the others, he noticed the gasps of surprise running through the ranks. Frowning as only a dragon can, he was about to turn back when an unexpected voice rang out…right in front of him, "So, you all calm enough to talk, or do I have to start being a little serious?"

Turning the rest of his head around, the leader of the dragons stared at what startled the others, and for good reason. For millennia, the sky had been the domain of the dragons and with no competition for it, they became confident to the point of arrogance. If even the strongest of their Riders could not sustain flight for more than a few minutes, then who could. Even Umaroth, who was more reasonable than most of his brethren had fallen into the belief that nothing could catch or match them in the sky.

Until now that is.

For a few seconds, Umaroth just stared at the mysterious blonde who by now crossed his arms, waiting for a response. From an outsider's perspective, it was a rather humorous situation. A dragon twice the length of a Boeing 747, around 600 feet, with gleaming white scales and fangs taller than a man being stared down by an admittedly taller than average, a little more than 6 feet, blonde human.

Snapping out of his trance, Umaroth completely took in the blonde, looking for signs of nervousness or fear, but ultimately found only confidence in himself, but most of all…in his power. For the first time, the dragon could see nothing that he could exploit, whether it be physical, magical, or even psychological. Even Galbatorix had only won by a mere fluke, a dirty move as the mad king struck his rider Vrael, the strongest of the Riders, in the side when shown mercy.

Looking into Naruto's blue eyes, Umaroth asked the question, "What do you want, Naruto?"

Notes:

Much of the ancient language in Eragon is well…incomplete so you know what that means, time to make stuff up.

Zoranr – anger

Suiton: Suijinheki no Jutsu – Water Style: Water Wall


	47. Downfall of Arrogance and Pride

Chapter 47

 _Still Within Naruto's Mindscape_

"What do **_I_** want?" scoffed Naruto, looking unbelievingly at the hovering white dragon. "In case you don't remember, YOU guys are the ones that barged into my mind and tried to raze the village behind me to go through my memories. And don't think I didn't hear what you flying lizards planned on doing to my mind. Especially that one." Naruto waved his hand towards the other dragons, who all merely glared back, before pointing at the mud brown dragon who glowered at him with murderous eyes.

Had it been when they were alive, Umaroth would have been ashamed for what they had done. But these were trying times, and there could be no uncertainty in doing their tasks, even if it meant pillaging someone's mind. Hardening his serpentine eyes, Umaroth attempted to display dominance as he flared his wings, covering much of the village in shadow and blocking the sun from the odd human's view.

"You are an unknown, a factor that could potentially be worse than Galbatorix. You were neither born here nor hold any true allegiance to anyone. You just appeared out of nowhere on this continent and just so happened to save one of the two free Dragon Riders in existence. You have all of these abilities that could destroy this continent and even admitted to being able to do so." Umaroth snorted as he maintained his stare with Naruto.

Umaroth paused as he brought his head that could have swallowed the blonde whole closer, "Not only is your reason being here suspicious, you even managed to get the trust of the two hatchlings and the daughter of the elven queen. All of this with hardly mentioning your past other than a few words and images. So tell us, what other choice did we have?"

"And those are the reasons why you suddenly attacked me and attempted to forcefully read my memories?" questioned the blonde as Vrael's dragon waited, still hovering in the sky and starting to flatten trees from the wind of his wings.

Looking back and forth between the dragons and Konoha, Naruto rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes in thought before remarking, "You know what, that's actually quite reasonable."

If dragons could face-fault in midair, then that's what Umaroth and company did. As their wings suddenly stopped flapping, they all almost fell to the ground before regaining control of their bodies. While most settled for glaring in disbelief at the floating and now amused blonde, a few did not.

"You impudent monster! You dare to mock us you mere human," roared out the brown dragon Zoranr, who after recovering, stayed quiet at first, listening to the two talk. But when he heard such a flippant response, lost what little control he had. The hatred he held for overly powerful humans ever since Galbatorix and the Forsworn only grew greater in the Eldunari's isolation from the world, and Naruto's response didn't help.

"Umaroth, how much longer will you exchange words with this human?" Zoranr spat out the last word with contempt, "If you will not do what must be done, then I will. BROTHERS, ATTACK THE CITY!" Instantly, the temperature of the surrounding air grew warm as several dozens of dragons' maws glowed with fire.

"Umaroth! I would seem as if your hold over the other Eldunari has weakened over the years. I have shown mercy, but some…some only listen to an overwhelming power! KURAMA!"

Before Umaroth could intervene, a small hand, barely larger than one of thousands of scales grabbed his neck, denting a couple of scales. But that wasn't the problem.

Although he would have lost whatever was under Naruto's grip, Umaroth could have still broken free. That was his thought until he felt himself rapidly losing the energy to even keep hovering. Soon, the only thing keeping him from crashing to the ground was the area on his 100 foot neck that was still in the blonde's hand, which while uncomfortable, was far more preferable than crashing to the ground.

" _What is this sorcery?_ " With his little remaining energy, Umaroth craned his neck up, only to see the sun behind the the God of Shinobi covering his front in shadow with the only thing visible being his glowing purple Rinne-Sharingan staring down at him, as if he was nothing.

"Do not worry, your friends won't die…but I will show you that if I truly wanted to rule over this continent, I wouldn't have to do it from the shadows. Now watch."

And that was when Umaroth knew true fear.

As Zoranr and the other dragons led by him unleashed another firestorm, a red orange tail with a black tip flashed with a boom in front of the now tiny in comparison flames, destroying miles of the forest from its shockwave, and completely blocking Konoha from them without a trace of a burn. The size of the tail alone completely dwarfed that of any of dragons present.

"W-What is this? Not even Belgabad was as big as this," whispered Umaroth as he stared at the length of 'tail', estimating it to be 3 kilometers long.

By now, the rest of the dragons were shaking in terror at the prospect that there existed a creature so much larger and obviously more powerful than they. Flying towards the tail, Naruto laid a hand on it as he stroked the fur, "This is Kurama, the ten-tailed fox, who has been with me since the day I was born."

"T-Ten tails? Wait…if this is just a tail, just how big is this monster?" All of the dragons questioned as they looked for the origin of the tails, only to see a mountain as tall those from the Beor Mountains.

Soon, they heard the fox before they fully saw him. Tree after mighty tree was crushed under his feet as Kurama slowly padded towards them. The air seemed to thump as large volumes of air were displaced in moving presence of the Juubi no Kitsune. First came a leg, taller than Umaroth in length, that ended with a paw resembling a human hand crushed more trees as it came down. Next came his head, with a maw that the white dragon could have fit in if he so chose and red eyes that glared at the intruders. Then came the rest of his main body…all two kilometers of it. And then finally came the rest of his tails, all identical as the first one and waving through the air as if they had minds of their own. But it was the malevolent aura of power that hugged the fox like a second layer that truly awed them.

For all their countless years in experience, never had they seen a more magnificent or terrifying sight as Kurama, the Juubi no Kitsune in his full glory. When the fox arrived in front of them, his head was already level with the airborne dragons when he then reared back to stand on his hind legs, his arms resting on his knees as he studied the multicolored dragons that now had to look up in order to meet his eyes.

"So these are the shiny lizards that dared to enter your mind, Naruto." The air rumbled as Kurama looked disdainfully at the dragons, in particular the ones that attacked his host again. "And I have to say, for beings that helped dominate this continent for thousands of years, you are all," he focused his glare on the brown dragon who was now quivering and barely able to look back, "just so _weak_."

Most of the Eldunari quivered in rage at the blatant contempt and disrespect of the fox, but their instincts refused to deny his claims. However, there were a few that didn't know better, a mixture of younger and elder dragons when they died, and shot forward with claws and fire at the ready.

Naruto, who had by now had released Umaroth, just shook his head, "Fools, did they go mad with fear? And to think Kurama is already suppressing his chakra as much as he could, otherwise even I would be affected by it, incredible." Umaroth, who had heard what his captor muttered, grew even whiter with shock and concern for his comrades who, although disobeyed him, were still dear to his heart.

As the dragons attacked, Kurama snorted before casually swiping one of his tails, knocking most of them out of the sky and into the ground, each forming large craters where they landed.

The few that the tail didn't hit were soon desperately dodging through a deadly obstacle course before the Juubi rolled his eyes, bored of the 'fight'. Lining his tails, he swung them, a solid wall of tails that left them no room to maneuver no matter how quick they were.

In the end, all that was left of the brief scuffle were a few craters that dotted the land around his mental Konoha. However, he lifted a brow in curiosity when Kurama started charging a Bijuudama, before shrugging, trusting his lifelong companion to know what he was doing. Although he got the idea when he saw him charging for well over a couple of seconds…he was having fun, damn bastard.

Meanwhile, when the giant fox smashed the other Eldunari into the ground, Umaroth initially panicked, but sighed in relief when he felt that while injured heavily, they still lived. They would have to recover their energy as Eldunari, but they would be fine.

That's until he saw the Bijuudama forming over the mouth of the monstrous fox. He watched in fascination as glowing dark and white particles slowly converged together, forming a reddish black ball that kept growing…and growing…and still kept growing as it terraformed the area around until it reached a diameter the length of one of his tails.

In equal amounts of awe and fear, Umaroth and his dragons stared as they dropped to the ground, unable to bear the increased feeling of gravity pulling them down from the sky. However, when the fox pointed the gigantic orb of pure energy at them, they all attempted to move out of the way as they clawed and beat their wings to no avail.

Umaroth then saw Naruto, who was still in the air, point at the behemoth fox and felt reassured that they were NOT going to die until the blonde opened his mouth.

"Oi oi, point that ball of death a little more to the right, it's a little close to Konoha." Seeing the suddenly horrified look on their faces, Naruto sighed, "Ok, point it _a lot_ more to the right."

Kurama just rolled his eyes before muttering 'whatever' as he pointed his head towards the right of the grounded dragons, much to their relief.

They were then treated towards a scene as Kurama somehow swallowed the giant Bijuudama, his cheeks bulging out.

" _He…swallowed it? That mass of energy?_ " were the thoughts of every being except of course for Naruto and the Juubi.

" _So what is goi-_ " whatever thought they had was instantly answered when Kurama opened his mouth to let out a beam that pierced through ten mountains in the way, completely shattering them.

If this was all, Umaroth and the others would have already fainted in horror.

But as they glued their eyes to track the deadly projectile, they noticed despite going through the mountains…it still hadn't stopped and actually regained its former spherical shape.

Respectfully, Umaroth looked up to ask, "Naruto, how much further will it kee-" and for the second time, this time physically instead of mentally, as his enhanced eyes were almost completely blinded by a _something_ in the distance.

Despite being almost blinded; they were still able to make out was happening. Even if they wanted to turn away, the just couldn't as they watched the unparalleled destruction that was currently happening.

After travelling several hundred kilometers away, the Bijuudama finally exploded, turning pure white as it expanded into an explosion of 100 kilometers in diameter. Everything, whether they be trees, earth, clouds, or mountains, was turned to dust and scattered as a shockwave roared across Naruto's mindscape.

Seeing the shockwave coming, Umaroth roared out a command, "BRACE!" and not a moment too soon as it ripped through the land surrounding them, leaving countless trees broken in half even when they were hundreds of kilometers away.

A minute passed and as the dust settled, the dragons who had hunkered down all burst into the sky, as if they were one, and flew directly towards the Bijuudama site.

All they saw was devastation in its finest form.

Not a trace remained of the once lush green forest where the Bijuudama imploded, leaving only a smoking crater as far as the eye could see.

Umaroth looked around and saw that not only did the Bijuudama destroy a lake-size part of the forest, the next hundred kilometers of trees were utterly incinerated as well. As for the rest of the distance between them and the explosion, most of the trees were either completely ripped out or torn apart as if a hurricane passed through.

Whirling around, the leader of the free Eldunari searched for Zoranr, who was still blankly staring at the annihilation. Spotting him, Umaroth dive-bombed him to the ground before pinning him by the neck with his heavily muscled leg as he dug his claws in.

Ignoring the brown dragon's roars of pain, Umaroth snaked his head until he was level with Zoranr's head and snarled, "Zoranr, you and the others will stop this immediately, or I will personally shatter your minds and cast their remains into the abyss! We cannot afford to offend these two, especially if what Naruto said was true. If he truly wanted to rule or turn against us, there is truly no reason for him to hide such intentions with their power."

When he saw the dragon underneath him try to wriggle out of his hold, Vrael's dragon slammed him down again, "This is the last time I will ask. Will you and the others supporting you stop this nonsense, or will I have to do something I will forever regret?"

Zoranr's eyes darted between the pale white eyes of his captor and the barren forest before gritting his teeth, "I understand Umaroth-elda. We will stand down for now. However, should he ever show the slightest sign of betraying our cause, I will perform the same magic that rendered Doru Araeba uninhabitable." After being warned, Umaroth nodded his agreement and took his foot off of his comrade's neck when they all saw Naruto walking towards them, alone.

Stopping in front them, Naruto crossed his arms across his chest as he called out, "As you can see, if I wanted to, I could have done any number of things to this continent, and nothing could have stopped me. Just by you attacking me first, I have more than enough reason to make sure your order never rises again."

He watched in slight amusement as the dragons did their version of sweating before sighing, "Yet, I also cannot completely fault you for your attack against me as I have more than once ordered the elimination of a potential threat even if their intentions were unknown."

"Instead, I will let you know something that I haven't told the others yet," said Naruto as the others leaned their heads in, curious of the new information.

"As you know from Eragon's memories, I have tried my best in not playing too major a role in the liberation of Alagaesia from Galbatorix and his Empire. Thus far, I have only fought alongside the Varden, but refused to be part of the spotlight, letting all of the attention end up on Eragon and Saphira. Part of my reason for doing so is because the civilians would never allow a foreigner to have a major role in taking down Galbatorix. However, it's my next reason that's the major one. After I help Eragon end this war, I don't plan remaining in Alagaesia for long. In fact, in less than a month after the war, I will probably leave the continent, only occasionally coming back to visit," revealed Naruto, causing a ripple of discussion to rise through the ranks.

Bringing his head closer, the white dragon stared into the blonde's piercing blue eyes, "And why will you be leaving; in fact, why should we believe you, Naruto?"

Shifting his gaze to Umaroth, Naruto subtly shrugged. "My reasons for doing are my own, and there is no reason to tell somebody who attacked my mind, intent on ripping my secrets from me," Umaroth awkwardly shifted under the small glare from the blonde, "As for your second question, I have never purposefully broken any of my promises." At this, the ex-Hokage turned away, softly muttering to himself, but the sensitive ears of the close dragon heard them.

"And what do you mean by impossible promises?" asked Umaroth, curious of what could possibly be considered impossible such a powerful being that was even capable of destroying the continent.

A moment of silence passed before Naruto darkly chuckled, "I once promised my allies that I would never let any of my friends and comrades die, as long I was there during the greatest war my people have ever known. That ended when my future wife's cousin took a spike through his chest protecting the both of us. And the other…is none of your business." Umaroth frowned at the snub, his curiosity almost demanding him to know more about the other promise, at least until his common sense kicked that curiosity into the corner screaming not to annoy the human that controlled a fox that could wipe out all life in Alagaesia.

"Now, if we're all done with _this_ ," Naruto vaguely gestured towards the destruction around them, "how about we get to the part where I eject you from my mind while you all swear in the ancient language to never divulge what happened in here, and then we both help Eragon become the Rider Alagaesia needs." Naruto said as the dragons immediately swore to never reveal what happened here.

After all that was done, Naruto clapped his hands as he gave his widest smile that showed off his enlarged canines. "Well then, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship," Naruto said, even as Umaroth sweat dropped.

Notes:

Where I based my numbers…or those I used: threads/naruto-calc-thread.243774/


	48. Eggs

Chapter 48

As the Eldunari left his mind, Naruto flew back to Kurama and landed on top of his head, which made the giant fox grumble a bit before going quiet. Several moments passed as the two friends just sat there in silence, looking at the once peaceful landscape before Naruto snapped his fingers, restoring the forest that was blasted away from the Bijuudama.

After he was done, he leaned back onto Kurama's surprisingly soft fur and asked, "Did you really have to change your size? I mean, you're already big enough." smiling as Kurama smirked in response. "You do realize that this is still smaller than my usual size." The sage shot a shocked look at his friend as Kurama shrugged. "Those lizards seem to respect power and in their perspective, power equals size. So I did just that...even if that wasn't my largest form."

Nodding his agreement, Naruto started to make himself more comfortable, but winced when he felt a pulse of pain in right eye. Placing his hand over it, he was surprised when he felt a wetness under his fingertips, " _Tears? Why am I crying?_ "

Pulling back, he realized that it wasn't tears like he first assumed, but blood. Instantly, his mind went back to his experience with the Sharingan, or more specifically the Mangekyou Sharingan and its eternal version. Whenever the eye was overused due to a technique, the eyes bled as a warning to the user from using it again.

" _But when did I even use my eye?_ " Naruto wondered as patted the head he was sitting on.

"Oi furball," the Juubi bristled at the nickname but stilled when he heard the rest, "did you notice me using my eye at any time?"

"Well, yes you did brat," started Kurama as Naruto perked up, waiting in anticipation only for it to be dashed mercilessly against the ground, "you used your eye to look at things. Now I know you don't use that sorry excuse you call a brain, but I would have thought even you would have picked up that used your eyes to see things. Now that I think about it…"

A swarm of tic marks made themselves known as Naruto started to shake in annoyance as the giant fox obliviously continued, seemingly unaware of his passenger starting to channel his inner rage into a fist. However, the completely aware fox grinned as he decided to stop poking fun at the blonde.

"You know, I was wondering when you were going to ask that question, considering what your clone sent you when your mate kicked it in the nuts." That stopped Naruto dead in his tracks as he went over the memories he received again, stopping when the clone first used Amenotejikara and questioned the powers of his right eye.

"I see you finally reviewed your clone's memories. And you are correct, while your left eye contains Amenotejikara that the Uchiha brat once used, your right eye…has something powerful, a power that even I shudder at." The Juubi no Kitsune said in a low voice, already knowing the abilities behind the blonde's right eye since he was the one to fully integrate it into his body and truly become a part of him.

"And when exactly did I use this ability? And what is it?" Alarmed, Naruto asked with unconcealed curiosity, wondering what exactly was this ability that managed to unsettle someone like the giant fox.

"I'm sure you remember when the old Juubi shot Bijuudamas everywhere, right?" Kurama asked, to which Naruto nodded.

"Well, those Bijuudamas were already over 100 kilometers across, and they were not even close to being fully charged ones. The Juubi was after all the planet itself in a way and even when driven mad, did not want to destroy its own planet. But the key point is that the Juubi was not complete, since Gyuki and I were out at the time. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Naruto eyes briefly lost their usual glow at the memory of how Bee and the Hachibi insisted they fuse with the ten-tailed Kurama, before they grew wide as he swiftly understood what the fox beneath him was trying to say.

"So you mean to say that I absorbed the chakra used for the Bijuudama from a distance?" Kurama snorted at the blonde's answer, but honestly couldn't fault him for coming to that conclusion, as the latter was hard to imagine.

"No, like the Rinnegan techniques unique to their users, it is related to either time, space or both like: Kaguya's dimensions and portals, Madara's Limbo, and Sasuke's Amenotejikara. But your ability, while not a strictly a combination of them, gives you unparalleled control over both," refuted the Juubi as Naruto's brows sharply arched up.

"What, so you're saying that I can control time and space?" jokingly asked Naruto.

He was then dislodged from the forehead and flipped into the air until he landed on the nose. Looking back, glowing pair of eyes stared right back at him.

"Yes, that is actually exactly what I mean, and I am sure you can already deduce what happened."

Looking back and recalling what Kurama said about his power levels, Naruto knew that the Bijuudama, despite its impressive size, should have been at least several times bigger which by then should have included all of them in the blast radius.

Thinking about it, Naruto came to a conclusion. "Are you saying that I activated my…time ability and degraded it to the point of having it go off a safe distance away?"

"Yes! That is exactly what happened, however since it was your first real use of the ability and the target was not exactly a _cooperating_ one, your eye overloaded and thus you started bleeding," explained Kurama. "However, there are other instances of your ability being used unconsciously by you."

Before the fox could continue, Naruto cut in, "It's my Kamui, isn't it?" Seeing the slightly surprised expression, Naruto smiled before moving on. "Furball, I was once Hokage you know, and I have seen my fair share of unusual cases and abilities to know something wasn't right. Just because I have an absurd amount of chakra does not mean that the Kamui, a known ability of the Mangekyou Sharingan, would mutate so drastically. But at the time, there was no other explanation for it, so I accepted it."

"But knowing of my right eye's ability, it suddenly makes sense. The ability to bend time in my dimension and its endless space…it all adds up now. My Kamui must have fused with my ability to control time and space." Putting on a thoughtful expression, Naruto slyly looked back at Kurama as he voiced an interesting thought, "In fact, I would guess that even if I accelerated my space's time to 100x, the drain on my chakra would be nowhere near as intense as you claimed it would. But why, why would you hide my own ability from me?"

"…it slipped from my mind." And with that Naruto proceeded to face fault off the nose and into the ground…a kilometer away. Kurama just sighed at the antics of his host before he picked up the blonde with his claws and flung him back up onto his head.

After several minutes of insults and retaliations that may or may not have decimated a mountain or two, the two friends eventually stopped, panting in slight exhaustion before Naruto started to walk away to lean on a tree.

Sighing, Naruto went through what he learned about the apparently godlike powers of his right eye, before grumbling about having to once again having to train in a power that he had next to no knowledge about. Kurama merely rolled his giant eyes before forcibly ejecting Naruto from his own mindscape.

" _How does that even work anyways? It's my mind…damn fox gives me no respect these days, not that he ever did,_ " mentally muttered Naruto as he came back to the real world. To his surprise, there was no indication from either Eragon or Saphira that he usually received when he spent time conversing with his tenant, which at first puzzled him a little until he realized what must have happened.

" _Another unconscious use of my right eye…this is worrying. A power I can't control is not only dangerous to me but to everyone around me, and that's unacceptable. I'll need to find time to fully concentrate on handling this power._ " So engrossed was he in planning a training regime for his newfound power, he didn't realize a certain elf approaching from behind until she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Startled, Naruto instinctively started to unseal a kunai before he relaxed when he felt the chakra signature of Arya. Silently chiding himself for almost pulling a weapon on her, Naruto started to greet her but noticed a look of concern in her eyes and in turn saw a reflection of himself in in her clear emerald eyes.

Like in his mindscape, his right eye was crying tears of blood.

" _So the damage was carried to the physical world despite using it in my mind, that's a little annoying_." Naruto thought irritably before Arya gently placed a hand over his eye and murmuring 'Waíse heill'. Despite his near instant healing, he still felt a warm feeling spreading from her palm and through his eye, hastening the process.

After a second or two, Naruto could feel that his eye was fully operational. Taking the hand that was over his eye, Naruto brought it to his lips before placing a kiss on the back her hand, earning a small smile from Arya as she saw that nothing was wrong.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Eragon and Saphira were staring with bulging eyes and jaws to the ground at the small scene between Naruo and Arya. Eragon had seen this type of interaction more than enough times between his cousin Roran and his cousin's fiancé Katrina to know that this wasn't an action between friends, but lovers. As for Saphira, other than what was blatantly visible, she could just _smell_ the hormones being released from the two.

In unison, the two pointed, one with a finger and the other a claw, at the new couple, "W-When did this happen?!"

"An hour ago. Anyway, we're not here to discuss what happened between Arya and me, but to check what's in this Vault of Souls." Naruto quickly answered as Arya stepped next to him before once again intertwining their fingers.

"That's true, in that case… _._ " Eragon rounded towards the dragonic humanoid. "What was that for? We came in peace, and in return you ripped our minds apart and took control of our bodies as you proceeded to do the same to Naruto. Why? And just who are you; I know you are Eldunari, but just who ordered to almost mentally cripple us?"

Sharply looking at the man beside her, Naruto shook his head as he gestured for them to merely spectate and let events unfold. "We will talk about it later. However, if those rocks are anything I think they are, then the Eldunari were completely justified in taking such drastic methods."

Noticing the 'rocks' on the concentric benches, Arya focused her eyes on them, at first finding it difficult even with her enhanced vision. But once she caught of the shapes, she instantly knew what they were. How could she not? Who could be more familiar than she when for the better part of a century, she played courier to the most precious object at the time in Alagaesia.

Immediately, her heart started hammering in her chest as her knees grew weak, almost unable to believe the sudden turn of events. As Arya was about to sag to the floor, Naruto placed a hand at her hips and supported her against his side, having been in her situation before.

 _"My name is Umaroth. My Rider was the elf Vrael, leader of our order before our doom came upon us. I speak for the others but I do not command them, for while many of us were bonded with Riders, more were not, and our wild brethren acknowledge no authority but their own._ " Umaroth mentioned the last statement with a hint of exasperation, as it was them that kept attacking the human…no the monster in human skin, " _If the fox, Kurama, didn't show such strength, I fear we would have disappeared from these lands._ "

Turning his thoughts back to the hatchling pair, Umaroth continued, " _As for why…well it would seem the elf behind you has figured out what we have been hiding. Take a closer look, and behold our legacy!_ "

Furrowing their brows, Eragon and Saphira turned their heads toward the objects they had at first noticed before they were attacked.

They were smooth and ovoid and appeared to have been sculpted from stone of differing colors. As with the orbs, some were large and some were small, but regardless of their size, their shape was one he would have recognized anywhere.

With a similar if not greater reaction than Arya's, Eragon and Saphira slowly walked their way towards the objects, fearing that they might be trapped in an illusion preying on their hopes.

"It cannot be…"

" _But it is, hatchlings and nor do your eyes deceive you. Here lie the last of the free Eldunari, as well as the eggs that we have guarded for over a century._ "

Once Naruto and Arya heard this, they shifted away from the chamber, leaving the new generation of Dragon Riders with the elder dragons. Arriving near the archway from whence they came, they stopped as they observed Eragon take off his glove and place the hand with the gedwëy ignasia onto one of the eggs with a solemn expression.

"So this is the secret they were hiding from the rest of the world, impressive." Naruto mused as Arya slowly shook her head, still leaning on him despite having recovered from her shock.

"It is more than impressive, it's a miracle. You were not here when Galbatorix and the Forswron searched the entirety of the continent and Doru Araeba, even though it was already a dead city because of Thuviel imploding his body, leaving no stone untouched. And out of those years of searching, they were only able to recover three eggs. Even when this war ended, it was almost guaranteed that the age of dragons would come to an end due to there being so few dragons," refuted Arya before gaining a gleam in her eyes, "But now, with all of these eggs, the dragons won't die out and a new generation of Dragon Riders can form."

Nodding his understanding, Naruto froze when she mentioned Thuviel, starting to connect the dots, "So this is why Thuviel killed himself and the rest of the remaining Riders. It was all to draw attention away from the eggs and Eldunari."

Shocked, Arya ran through the facts and soon came to the same conclusion. "The man would have been a good shinobi."

Seeing her look of confusion, he explained, "A shinobi's greatest weapon is not any kind of jutsu, but rather deception. For even the greatest can be felled by a weaker opponent if taken by surprise."

Inclining her head in agreement, the two then watched as Eragon spoke a few words in the ancient language and the Eldunari disappeared into a small black hole, which was only as large as a grain of sand.

However, the eggs remained in the chamber, along with the metallic dragon humanoid that sat on its throne.

Walking towards his friend and teacher, Eragon and Saphira paused when they reached them. "Naruto, Umaroth-elda wanted me to tell you that he although deeply apologizes for invading your mind, he doesn't regret doing so, and would do it again if given a second chance." Naruto lifted an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as he would have done the same. But it was the next thing that Eragon said that took him completely by surprise.

"However, he did ask me to tell you that as an apology you may check the eggs and see if any react to you."

Silence filled the room as Naruto stared at Eragon and the black speck behind him in astonishment. " _Hey Kurama, am hearing things right? Did the group of dragons that we basically threatened to blow up just offer up one of the last eggs in the land that they have guarded for over a century…to me?_ "

The Juubi in Naruto's gut was equally dumbfounded, " _I don't know Naruto what possessed these lizards to give you one of their kits, but humor them for now. Besides, if one does hatch, I…I mean we'll have a new pet to play with._ " The giant fox widely grinned at the thought of _raising_ the dragon with his own brand of tender loving care. It would be fun to toss it into the air to see whether it flies or goes splat after all…

Rolling his eyes at the fox's gleeful laughter, it didn't escape Naruto's notice that this was an attempt to bind him closer to the Dragon Rider Order should an egg hatch for him. Even if none did, it still proved that they didn't wish for hard feelings between them.

" _Clever old farts_ ," snorted Naruto, clearly ignoring the fact that to humans…he too would be considered old.

Without another word, the blonde walked over to where the eggs were, but paused when the metallic construct suddenly stood up, unsheathed his sword, and started to threateningly stomp its way towards him.

Staring curiously at the approaching metal man, Naruto subtly shifted into a combat stance as he instinctively catalogued its strengths and weaknesses.

" _The body of whatever this thing is is obviously not natural. In fact…_ " the Rinne-Sharingan spun to life as he observed the many thin delicate strands connecting from an Eldunari in its chest to the rest of its body, " _as I thought. This thing is like the puppets Suna used, except it seems this body is far sturdier than the ones I've seen before._ _This could be fun._ " With that thought, the air seemed to grow heavier as Naruto started to actively circulate chakra throughout his body, preparing for what seemed like an inevitable conflict.

"Cuaroc-elda, stand down please. I know Naruto won't do anything to harm the eggs. And it was Umaroth-elda that gave him permission to do so." With that, the silvery construct paused as it seemed to consider Eragon's words before turning around to its throne. Sitting down, Cuaroc leaned back into the throne, but kept its sword out.

Slightly disappointed at the missed chance of a potentially good fight, Naruto shrugged as he made the rest of the way towards the eggs nearest to the archway.

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto called out, "Eragon, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Just place your hand on the eggs. If one of them chooses you, the egg will hatch," answered Eragon as Naruto nodded his understanding.

As Naruto moved through the eggs, Umaroth and the other Eldunari were deep in discussion.

" _Umaroth, are you sure this is wise? Potentially entrusting one of the precious eggs to that monster seems unnecessarily risky._ " Zornar voiced his concern to the white Eldunari.

" _You know this was our only choice in order to repair the connection between us and Naruto. Even if he said that he does not blame us for invading his mind, we cannot take the chance that he might hold some hidden grudge towards us, and thus young Eragon. That is not a chance we can take._ " Umaroth reminded Zoranr as the mud brown Eldunari grumbled his agreement.

" _However, think of the opportunities should one of the eggs hatches for him! He would be a powerful ally of the Dragon Rider Order and should another Rider such as Galbatorix ever come into being…this time we will be ready._ " Umaroth added.

" _I know that, but it still irks me that we, the proud dragons, would be forced to give up an egg in such times…just so we could appease a human. It's humiliating, even if the human is monstrous in power,_ " shot back Zoranr.

Umaroth didn't respond at first as deep inside, he too felt the same. That their species would be brought down so low, lower than even during their war with the elves all those millennia ago, infuriated him like none other.

And now, they were about to possibly gift one of their precious eggs to a stranger.

" _I know what you mean Zoranr, but…_ " if the white Eldunari still had his body, his teeth would have been in danger of shattering, " _this is the best method to truly show our sincerity and make a powerful ally. However, it would seem that our concerns might not be an issue. There are only a few more eggs left…and you know what I mean._ "

Startled, the brown Eldunari swept his 'eyes' towards the blonde, who was now approaching a set of five eggs that towered above the others, being slightly taller than Naruto himself who stood a little more than 6'. However, it was the last one – a unique blend of black and red that was the only one that was multicolored – that was even greater than them all, being half again as tall as the five.

When Umaroth and the other spectating Eldunari saw just which eggs the blonde was on, they sighed in slight despair. Unlike the other eggs, these hearkened to a more ancient time when elves and dragons had just entered into a pact to create the Dragon Riders. It was then the leader of the dragons of that time, Raugmar the Dread, a dragon of titanic proportions that was said to have utterly dwarfed their own Belgabad who, at the time of the fall of the Dragon Rider Order, was already twice the size of Umaroth. He was so large in fact that it was said when he flew, the entire of Du Weldenvarden could hear the sound of his wings displacing the air.

Umaroth at the time could not even comprehend just how large this legendary dragon was – that ended when he saw the behemoth fox within the human's mind. Even decades or centuries later he would remember the sheer size and power of the fox and thank the stars that they didn't insist on attacking.

It was only to be expected that the eggs from him would be so huge considering the size of their sire. However, the size of the last egg could only be considered freakish. While the other five eggs that all belonged to Raugmar had reacted to potential Riders, in the end they never hatched. But the largest egg, the firstborn of the black dragon, never reacted towards anyone, instead remaining in a hibernation state to the point they were worried whether the precious embryo died.

It grew to the point that the Order lost hope in the great potential that were the eggs and instead sealed them away, only bringing them out a few times over the centuries. Had it been any other eggs, they would have been concerned of the mental state of the hatchlings within, but every single time they mentally scanned them, they found nothing amiss.

They were snapped out of their thoughts when Naruto, after arching a brow at the ridiculous size of the eggs, shrugged as he placed a hand on the surface of the first one, a deep purple one.

For a second, nothing happened. The Eldunari, witnessing the inaction of the egg, collectively sighed as they some of them had seen the same scene multiple times before. But as Naruto was about to head on to the next one, a pure silver one, the amethyst egg started to shake wildly, as if fighting against invisible restraints that held it to the ground.

As the other Eldunari were going crazy at the sudden change of events, Naruto stopped to walk back to the egg with a wide grin on his face. But out of the corner of his eye, he realized that the red-black egg that was on the other side of the five shook, only a few millimeters, but enough for him to notice. Immediately, the purple egg stopped shaking.

Turning his head back towards the largest egg, Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he slowly moved to the silver egg and placed his hand on its surface. Soon, the egg gave a similar reaction as its predecessor did, only for it to stop when the last egg shook again.

With now twitching eyebrows that only grew twitchier as he got closer to the 'eggblocker', Naruto quickly placed his palm on the remaining three eggs, each with their own unique color: a gold that reminded him of Glaedr, a blue with an icy hue that made him feel cold just by looking at it, and finally a color that called out to him…orange. A deep, dark orange bordering on red that was comparable to the sun at dawn.

The orange egg was the last that he touched, and once again the egg trembled at his touch. This time though, when the red-black egg expressed its dissatisfaction, the orange on continued to tremble and there were even tapping noises coming from within the shell.

Needless to say, the giant egg was not happy.

By this time, the Eldunari had noticed that the impregnable egg that had not moved for millennia, the firstborn of the greatest dragon to grace the skies, was moving as if it was _jealous_ at his other siblings possibly being bonded to the ex-Hokage first.

Soon the other eggs joined in the shaking and rocking as they communicated their displeasure at the tyranny of the largest egg.

" _Cute…_ " is what Naruto thought as he watched the interplay between the unborn siblings. Several minutes passed before the last egg gave a final wobble that seemed oddly defeated.

Chuckling under his breath, Naruto made his way to the troublemaker egg before placing his hands on his hips and staring up at the gigantic egg that towered over him. A few seconds passed as the blonde kept up his stare at the egg, and to his amusement it seemed to shrink under his scrutiny.

Finally, Naruto broke the silence, "You know, that was very rude of you."

Wobble.

"I would have eventually gotten you, ya know," sighed Naruto.

Wobble wobble.

"You should apologize to the other eggs. I'm sure they'll forgive you if you do," advised Naruto as he pointed at the others, which were all vibrating simultaneously.

This time the egg didn't move at all.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "If you don't apologize to them, I won't accept you. I don't want to bond with a dragon that can't put aside his pride when he was in the wrong."

The egg remained still for only a second before it started to vibrate along with the others. The frequency it vibrated worried Naruto a little as no matter how large, a baby dragon should still be rather fragile.

Finally, the eggs stilled and it seemed as if they were watching the blonde that they had obviously chosen.

Waiting for his next move.

He touched the big egg.


	49. Birth of the Greatest

Chapter 49

Even as Naruto was about to touch the egg, Umaroth and the other Eldunari were in an uproar. The one thing they never could have imagined was happening – right in front of their nonexistent eyes.

" _Eragon! You must get closer to Naruto. We must witness the moment that egg hatches!_ " Umaroth all but roared into Eragon's mind as the poor Rider rocked on his heels in surprise.

" _Umaroth-elda, just what has gotten you and the other Eldunari so excited? Is it because of those eggs Naruto is touching?_ " questioned Eragon as he quickly strode closer to the blonde whose hand was only a few inches away from the last egg.

" _Eragon-finiarel, what you do not know is that those eggs are extremely special and could be considered as the crown jewels of the Dragon Rider Order. That is because they are from the clutch of Raugmar the Dread himself, first of his name and the greatest of all dragons._ " Now that got Eragon's and Saphira's attention. From the texts they read from Oromis, it was this very dragon that first entered the dragons into the Dragon Rider pact with the elves and was described as the greatest of all and future others.

" _However, they are also considered as the greatest failures of the Order._ " Eragon nearly stumbled at the sudden change of opinion when before Umaroth was praising the eggs and their sire to the sky. " _This is because despite all these millennia, they have never hatched for anyone. While the smaller five have reacted, they never became dragons. But the bigger one, has never once reacted to anyone, not even a little. What you are about to witness is the birth of the strongest dragon and Dragon Rider to ever walk the planet._ "

Eragon's eyes widened as he increased his pace towards the oldest eggs, needing no further convincing when finally, Naruto touched the red-black egg.

The effects were immediate as after a second of intense trembling, a snap resounded through the chamber when a large crack appeared on the gem-like shell. Naruto watched in fascination additional cracks appeared alongside the first and encircle the top part of the egg. Then at the top of the egg where all the cracks met, a small piece wobbled, as if it were balanced on something, rose and toppled to the floor with a heavy thud.

Everyone waited with bated breath as a rather large claw latched onto the edge and pulled its owner out the rest of the way. Soon, a large, scaly black head popped out, its red eyes open for the first time since the beginning of the Dragon Rider Order…

…and staring right at Naruto.

xXx

Darkness.

That's all a certain baby dragon knew of for the longest time.

The only exceptions were five bright points of light like the stars in the night sky that illuminated the area, but not enough to drive off the black gloom that was his egg.

On occasion, he saw these multicolored lights twitch, shudder and more than once almost extinguish. But in the end, they always came back to their original states to provide what little light in his purgatory. They were born to be the greatest of the dragons and as such, their Rider naturally had to be the best without a shadow of a doubt.

And so the years passed.

Century after century, his isolation continued with only some minor disturbances now and again. Just because he never had contact with the outside world did not mean that he was ignorant. Oh no, unlike other inferior beings, a dragon could absorb knowledge even during the egg stage. However, most of said knowledge is locked away and slowly introduced over time in order to not overload their young minds.

However, he and his siblings were different.

Most eggs only stayed as such for at most a century before they hatched for their Rider. For wild dragons, it was even shorter as there was nothing keeping them from hatching. He and his siblings were not like most. Except for a few instances, they never reacted or shown any signs of coming out of their eggs. And because of that, they grew far more mature while in the egg stage than most dragons did after hatching. And while other baby dragons who stayed in their eggs too long became odd and twisted, they continued to grow more mature

As such, the unborn dragon knew that the small disturbances were from elves and humans looking to be his Rider. Inwardly, he scoffed whenever he felt their power and intentions. Most were far too weak or immoral to even think about touching the tip of one of his claws while the worthier ones – he just didn't feel the connection that was so crucial to becoming lifelong partners.

There was even that time when the Oathbreaker, the _traitor_ and shame of the Dragon Rider Order came and attempted to bond with him, seeking a replacement for his dead dragon that he foolishly lost on a reckless attack against the Urgals.

Disgusting.

The hidden intentions of Galbatorix were all revealed to him and the moment he felt his energy or chakra, it was all he could do to stop himself from attempting to kill the man with his teeth and claws. After the fall of the Dragon Rider Order from that same man, he and his siblings withdrew from the world, preparing to hibernate for another thousand years if that's what it took to find a suitable Rider.

Over the years, the darkness grew darker and a new feeling came over them…cold. Dragons were naturally fiery, but despite their nature and the heat from the flowing magma, the despair of maybe never finding a Rider as long the mad king ruled was more than enough to dampen their flames.

That is until _he_ came.

Previously, whenever anyone but his siblings came near his egg, they were barely registered as wisps of flame at best or as nothing at all at worst. But this human…no…this _force of nature_ in human form was like the sun – if that sun was blazing right in front of them. The void that they existed in was filled with his light and temporarily blinded them with its brilliance.

But it was the feel of the chakra coming from this Naruto that truly enticed them. It felt warm and comforting and drove off the chill they had felt for decades. And yet beneath all that was a layer of cold iron that belied his sunny exterior. This man had been soaked in the embrace of death and had come out of it sane and more importantly…immensely powerful. And yet that power hasn't gone to his head like it did in so many others before him, and none of them were even close to his level.

And so he wanted him. Unfortunately, the rest of his siblings wanted him like none other and knew that should they pass up this opportunity, they would never find another. And so when the human came to touch them, they all vibrated, each wanting to be the first to claim him as their Rider.

But he was having none of that. No, he was the firstborn, the strongest of the six, and he would be the first to bond with this ideal Rider. And if possible, this human would belong to him and him alone.

As each of his siblings responded to Naruto, he rumbled his displeasure at them, staking his claim on the interesting human. Everything was going according to plan until his last brother, the orange light decided to be stubborn and then incited a rebellion against him.

He was always a stubborn one and now with the support of the others, he would have to compromise.

With a few trembles, the red-black dragon communicated his intention of sharing his Rider, but only if he bonded with him first. After a few reluctant answering quivers from the others, they agreed that for the first time ever…

…there would exist a Rider bonded to multiple dragons.

And so when the sun that illuminated his darkness stopped in front of him, the eldest of the siblings waited in anticipation for Naruto to finally place his palm on the shell and free him from his gemlike confines.

Only for him to feel his light pause right before his egg to his displeasure. Before he could protest, he heard Naruto speak.

"You know, that was very rude of you."

With a metaphorical eye twitch, the eldest of Raugmar shook his egg in protest against the accusation even as Naruto sighed.

"I would have eventually gotten you, ya know."

Growing more annoyed and impatient as he waited to be touched, the baby dragon showed it by rocking the egg even faster.

"You should apologize to the other eggs. I'm sure they'll forgive you if you do," When he heard Naruto's advice, the unborn dragon didn't even deign to respond as merely stilled, determined to not acknowledge that he did anything wrong. However, he quickly lost that with his future Rider's oncoming ultimatum.

"If you don't apologize to them, I won't accept you. I don't want to bond with a dragon that can't put aside his pride when he was in the wrong." And with that his will to, however briefly, stand by his beliefs instantly shattered into irrecoverable pieces. As such, the first thing he did was relay his apologies to the others before turning his attention back to the human whose hand he could feel approaching.

To his already refined senses, he felt as if the hand was moving in slow motion instead of the second it really took to reach his egg. And when it finally did, he felt the spells preventing him from cracking open his prison fade away.

Immediately, he set to cracking his previously impenetrable with his sharp talons. Crack after crack, he forced his way towards the open world until finally, the cracks connected, allowing a rush of foreign air in.

Inhaling a breath of smoky air for the first time in over a thousand years, the new hatchling glanced around in confusion when all he saw was darkness before realizing that his eyes were still closed. Opening them, all he could see was the interior of his shell and was for the first time struck by a sense of claustrophobia.

Desperately removing the loose top off, the greatest of Raugmar the Dread's offspring gripped the edge of the new hole as he popped his head out. Once he was partially free, he immediately looked towards his sun, his _Rider_ , only to be confronted with a pair of cerulean eyes staring right back at him that he knew was taking in every detail of himself even as he did the same.

And for a moment, the world was still.

xXx

Eyeing up at the dragon, Naruto cocked his head to the side as he took in its unusual appearance: reddish orange eyes that glowed with the intensity of magma, a large number of black spikes that jutted out all over its face with the largest three on its snout and above its ears, and metallic black scales that all rested on a defined wedge-shaped head.

But what surprised him was that as the baby dragon dragged the rest of its body out of its dual colored shell; a faintly glowing reddish orange line that traced down the center of its belly appeared when the not so small dragon tumbled down onto the ground.

As the dragon struggled to its feet, Naruto turned to the others while pointing at the baby dragon, "Hey Eragon, is it normal for dragons to develop that this early?"

Furiously shaking his head, Eragon denied it even as Saphira looked somewhat jealously at the newly revealed and nearly 6' in length infant dragon who was now eagerly crawling the rest of the distance towards Naruto, who had taken a couple of steps back after seeing the size of the winged lizard.

" _Little One…remember how small I was when I hatched for you?_ " whined Saphira as Eragon laughed in response.

" _Why yes I do Saphira. In fact, if I remember correctly…you were barely as long as my forearm, if even that!_ " teased Eragon as Saphira flicked the back of her Rider's head with the tip of her tail, taking care not to accidentally impale him with one of her rather large spikes.

" _That's not all, that hatchling already has such a developed fire sac, and he was just born! I was barely able to breathe flames by the time of the Battle of Farthen Dûr_ _and yet I can already feel the heat coming from him. This is so unfair._ " Saphira pouted to her Rider who merely chuckled at her childishness. However, as he did so, Eragon unconsciously analyzed the young dragon, frowning as observed the glowing line on its belly.

" _Saphira, although the hatchling has enviable talents in both size and fire development, that same advantage seems to also be a significant weakness._ " Saphira gave him a short glance before nodding her agreement, " _That glowing line, while indicating his undeniable gift for being a pyromaniac, is also an obvious weakness. From what I see, his scales almost seem to…shy away from that area, leaving it a soft spot for an errant blade or arrow. Naruto will have to be careful about that if he wishes to one day ride the hatchling in the skies._ "

Any further observation was cut short when Naruto, again with his hand outstretched, reached to the human sized and frankly intimidating looking dragon as he placed his palm between the two spikes that grew near the dragon's ears.

What happened next shocked everyone, especially the soon to be bonded two.

When Eragon and Saphira bonded, there was only a flash of silver light and pulse of chakra as a shining gedwëy ignasia burned itself onto Eragon's palm, creating a chakra pathway system within the ordinary human and signifying the eternal bond between Rider and Dragon. This was nothing unusual as every human and elf that became Dragon Riders went through the same ritual.

Then again, none of them were powerhouses like Naruto.

The moment his palm touched the dragon's forehead, a flash of red illuminated the dark chamber that was soon followed up by a wave of burning heat. With widened eyes, Naruto noticed the incoming danger not to him, but to the vulnerable eggs and Eldunari.

" _Now it's getting interesting_ " thought Naruto as he swiftly ran through all of the possible options to protect and not destabilize the chamber that was sitting on top of a river of magma.

" _Doton? Not an option, chamber could collapse. Suiton…it's dry as a bone down here. Katon, Futon, Raiton?_ " that last thought was quickly dashed, " _of course not, otherwise there might actually be a volcanic eruption. Very well, Uzumaki style it is!_ " All of this may have seemed to take a long time to think through, in reality on a second had passed.

"Kongō Fūsa!" roared out Naruto as several large, pitch black chains erupted from his back, wrapping and hiding the two from view of the other Dragons, Riders, and Arya.

The moment she saw those chains burst from her lover's back, Arya immediately started chanting in the ancient language, bringing barrier after barrier, ward after ward of heat and force resistant spells around both Naruto and hatchling, although she didn't dare do the same around the area of contact. The spells would only serve to compact the potentially dangerous heat source, possibly resulting in a catastrophic explosion if she was feeling the mounting chakra levels correctly.

As Arya watched the flames under Naruto's palm grew brighter and hotter before they were hidden away, she had a feeling that she would be put in this situation many a times as long she was with Naruto.

Away from prying eyes, Naruto had long noticed the erected wards his mate, as Kurama put it, placed around him. After softly smiling, his attention was soon diverted back to the situation at hand.

From what he knew from the texts in the library of the elves and his own hypothesis regarding the gift of a chakra network from the dragon to Rider, there shouldn't be such a surge of chakra, at least from dragon to Rider. The only danger of the ceremony was the amount of pain that the new Rider went through. However, he felt nothing: no pain, no real discomfort really. But the dragon on the other hand…

With that observation, his mind screeched to a brief halt before furiously rebooting as he fleshed out what was happening. Instead of the dragon gifting a chakra network to him, he was instilling his own chakra into it.

With every second that passed, the glow released by the fiery line across its belly grew brighter and hotter. Activating his Rinne-Sharingan, Naruto watched in wonder as the chakra that was once chaotically swirled around in its body slowly but surely organized itself into familiar pathways that he had helped Saphira form earlier.

As the once disordered chakra arranged themselves into chakra pathways, the dragon groaned as he slowly grew in size, reaching lengths that should have taken months if not years. But most importantly, tiny streams of liquid fire started to leak from the center line of his stomach, hissing as they dripped onto the stone floor.

The young dragon, who had no name, only had one thought. And that thought was pain.

" _It hurts its hurts it HURTS IT HURTS!_ " He felt as if his very blood, his essence, had turned to the same fire that once decimated legions of men, dwarves, and elves. Then to the dragon's amazement and horror, he felt burning not only on the inside of his body, but also on the outside as liquid fire trickled over his scales, creating small rivulets in their path as they burned their way to the ground.

" _No no no no, it can't end like this, not when I finally met my Rider!_ " With a roar of both pain and desperation, the dragon grasped at something…anything that could help him to pass this trial by fire. In doing so, the bonding dragon unconsciously reached through the hand that was still placed on his head.

And as he did so, a miracle only dragons were capable of happened.

Meanwhile, Naruto could feel his hand that was in contact with the dragon burn with the ferocity of a wildfire. But it wasn't the pain that disturbed him. After all, he had felt far worse whenever he engaged the Version 2 cloak. No, it was the tiny pricks he felt in his eyes as they watered in response to being irritated by the foreign chakra that suddenly hooked onto the chakra that was channeled through his eyes.

Before he could respond to the possible threat, the dragon's chakra swiftly withdrew back to its origin, bringing with it unprecedented change as the dragon jerked its head from his touch.

As the dragon's body melted itself at the seams, something other than liquid fire dripped from his body. A pitch black metal, the same shade as his scales, mixed with the volatile substance as it defied gravity to flow over and around his body, temporarily creating a hybrid armor of scales and shining metal plates.

With his eyes, Naruto noticed that although the change in his dragon's appearance was startling, it was what the metal was truly and the astonishing changes that were occurring _inside_ the dragon's body.

"Those metal plates…" Naruto muttered as he curiously raked over them with his eyes, taking note of how instead of just pure metal, there were chakra pathways running through them – supplying them with a constant source of energy. "…they're alive. Interesting, but what prompted the change?"

He continued to observe the changes as the liquid metal proceeded to further reinforce and in some places completely alter the outside structure of the dragon's body. But when he looked past the chakra-ridden armor, his eyes widened when he saw similar energy signatures starting to mix and intertwine with the internal structure of the dragon's body. Even though he didn't possess the Byakugan, he could still faintly make out the outlines of the organs, bones, and to a lesser extent the chakra pathways.

With a resounding groan and a heavy thud, the dragon dropped under the sudden increase in his weight before struggling back up as the black metal made its way to reinforce his muscles.

After the armor hardened and the innards were fully bonded, the Dragon Rider ceremony was complete and the two chakra bound partners for the first time truly looked each other in the eye as the chains around them slowly retreated back into Naruto's body.

The dragon, who had only taken a brief glance at Naruto, observed the man who was now his partner, friend, and most of all Rider.

Sun-kissed blonde hair that somehow didn't lose its luster underground.

A tanned lean but powerful build that belied that amount of destruction it was capable of.

A badly burned hand, blackened and crisped to the point he could see the white of bones, healed at a rate that he could see new muscle and skin flowing over the terrible injuries until nothing was left that indicated any kind of wound.

And those eyes…he shuddered as he peered into those silver-purple eyes with concentric circles and strange little marks circling the center. It wasn't only the appearance that slightly disturbed him however. The sheer power those eyes gave off was awe-inspiring, as if with just a touch, they could rip his soul from his body.

He had no idea how close he was to the truth at that time.

Meanwhile, Naruto analyzed the drastically different form the…his dragon, " _Damn, this is weird. Who would have thought that within a year of me leaving, I would become so closely linked to a creature only known in legends. Although I do have to say, he looks quite intimidating, even though he's still but a child._ "

With that, Naruto took in the final appearance of Raugmar the Dread's eldest.

The original 6' body of the dragon had almost doubled by the end of their bonding, armored in thick black metal plates that mostly covered the original black and red scales. At his full height, his head was leve with the blonde's.

An ominously glowing abdomen that despite the new armor, still managed to indicate the potency of the flames stored within.

And finally, the eyes. Much like how the young dragon noticed most the eyes of the blonde, so too did Naruto. While the eyes still smoldered much like lava, he noticed that behind the intense glow, the slit eyes were surrounded by a ring with a single tomoe faintly circling around the center.

For the nth time that day, Naruto stared, dumbfounded as he realized what must have happened.

" _Impossible…how does he have the Rinne-Sharingan?_ " Naruto glanced back at the chakra-laden armor and the sheer heat emanating from the luminous cracks scattered on its body.

" _So that's why I felt a slight tug on my eyes,_ " he hummed as he remembered the slight pricks of pain on his eyes. " _My dragon was doing one of its 'miracles' in order to stay alive, and somehow managed to access my Asura Path and by the looks of it, my Amaterasu. Now I have to wonder whether the other hatchlings will inherit some of my abilities…_ "

"So, what should I call you? Do you have a preferred name or should I name you?" Naruto awkwardly asked before he realized that the young dragon might not even know words.

Then to his and the others surprise, the new dragon spoke. "M-M-My R-rider, f-from what I h-have heard over the years, most Riders run names to their dragons until we hear one we feel fits us," grated out the dragon as he at first stuttered before gaining confidence in his speaking ability.

"I see, well you're in luck. I happen to be great at names! From now on, you shall be…" before Naruto could finish his sentence, a certain fox roared in his head.

"BRAT, I SWEAR IF YOU NAME THE KIT SOMETHING RIDICULOUS LIKE THE YONDAIME, I WILL FREE MY OLD MAN'S MOTHER AND LET HER HAVE HER WAY WITH YOU!" Everyone watched in alarm as Naruto's face paled at a rate faster than he could put away ramen, wondering what in the name of the ancient language could cause the godlike being lose his unshakeable confidence.

" _Alright furball, no need to get your tails in a bunch. We'll come up with a name for our dragon later after this war is done._ " While the ten-tailed fox grumbled at the mention of his tails, he still had a smug smile as he went down on his belly again, " _Still got it._ "

"Dragon, we will discuss your name later, but right now, we have to get back to the Varden so Eragon and Saphira can go be the hope Alagaesia needs. Don't worry," Naruto reassured the dragon who suddenly had a rather forlorn look on his spiky face, "we will come up with a name for you, one that you will be proud of…although I still think my name would have been awesome."

Turning away, Naruto walked towards his companions, but soon noticed the absence of metallic thuds that his dragon would have made. "What's the matter? Do you need some time to rest? I wouldn't blame you, especially after what we went through, it was pretty intense, even under my standards."

Shaking his head, the dragon looked back at his unhatched siblings, who were now intensely vibrating in order to grab his Rider's attention. Fighting his instincts that screamed at him to selfishly monopolize his Rider, he eventually decided to uphold the promise he made to his siblings.

"No, my Rider, I do not require any rest. However, I must ask you a favor," Naruto cocked his head to the side, wondering what the request would be, "Please take my siblings with you. They have already decided to make you their Rider and would rather not hatch for another millennium than bond to another." And with that, he lowered his proud head as he waited for his Rider's decision.

This put Naruto in a tight spot as technically, he was supposed to choose only one egg, and now from what his dragon was saying, his five siblings wanted in. Staring at his gedwëy ignasia, a fiery crimson ruby surrounded by darkness with the sun of the Sage of the Six Paths layered on it that now shone on the palm of his right hand, Naruto sifted through his options before coming to a conclusion.

" _Oh boy, at this rate my Kamui dimension will become a home to dragons,_ " thought Naruto as he called out, "Hey Eragon, tell Umaroth that I will be taking these five eggs, and that's nonnegotiable. However," Naruto waved finger as he silenced whatever protest Eragon was about to relay from the Eldunari, "I won't do this without paying you back. So tell me, what do you want in return for the eggs?"

Several minutes passed as the Eldunari argued amongst themselves, from possibly restoring their bodies to asking the overpowered blonde for a serious favor, should the Dragon Rider Order ever need it. Finally, they came to a decision.

As they relayed their answer to Eragon, the young Dragon Rider widened his eyes in bewilderment before gaining an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Naruto, Umaroth-elda and the others have come to a decision, and personally…I don't like it." Raising an eyebrow, Naruto gestured for Eragon to continue as he grew curious of what this request was.

"In exchange for the five eggs of Raugmar the Dread, they ask you for only thing – the knowledge of Galbatorix," Eragon grimaced at the very thought of taking anything from the mad king as Naruto merely gained a thoughtful look.

"Are you positive this is what you want?" Seeing Eragon nod, Naruto shrugged in acknowledgement. "So be it, before Galbatorix is struck down, I will transfer whatever knowledge he has to you, and that will be all. Now, I believe we have a war to get to and a certain someone to train. Oh, don't look at me like that Arya-hime, you might even find this fun hohoho…"

Pouting, Arya crossed her arms under her already sizeable bust that even under stiff leather armor couldn't be concealed as she shuddered at the upcoming…training. Eragon just looked at her with conflicting emotions: extreme sympathy for whatever torture she was about to go through and slight jealousy that she was going to get said training to become stronger.

Shaking his head, Eragon cast his dark thoughts aside, knowing that Arya was much closer to Naruto than he ever could be and that the Eldunari were already going to teach him everything they knew, so there would be no time for extra training even if he wanted it.

Picking his head back up, the unnamed dragon looked at Naruto in gratitude, although he was still a little miffed that he would be sharing his Rider. At least it was with his siblings.

Noticing his dragon's stare, Naruto turned back as he sucked in the eggs with his Kamui, settling them in a region where his clones trained in Yoton jutsus. Bringing his attention to him, Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he sheepishly said, "You know, I should have mentioned this earlier, but my name is Naruto, Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, eldest of Raugmar the Dread and most importantly, my dragon. Now come, it's time to go to war."

And with a wide smile, Naruto extended his fist towards the dragon's nose, obviously waiting for him to do something. Hesitatingly, the youngest dragon lifted a metallic leg while curling his paw into a fist as he mirrored his Rider's movement.

And with the first ever fist bump between dragon and human, their world and many others suddenly quivered in fear.

Notes:

Kongō Fūsa – Adamantine Sealing Chains

Eldest dragon – like Deathwing from WoW

Hello readers! I'm so sorry for taking so long for this chapter, but I had a severe case of writer's block. I tried to describe the unique situation with Naruto and his dragon, but it just never came out right.


	50. Return to the Varden

Chapter 50

Keeping contact with his dragon's fist for a moment, Naruto flashed his signature foxy grin before abruptly withdrawing his hand. Turning away, Naruto made his way towards the others who were by now waiting for him by the entrance of the chamber. In contrast with his silent footsteps, heavy metallic thuds rang out, jarring their sensitive ears as the 12' long dragon padded just behind his Rider.

"So, you're a Dragon Rider now? I have to say, I never imagined you being one." Eragon remarked as Naruto and his dragon passed by him and Saphira on their way to Arya who was waiting for them to join her.

"Neither did I Eragon. When I first came to this continent, I never expected to form any kind of _permanent_ bonds. Although my people were capable of amazing…if mostly destructive feats, immortality itself was a very rare one. Even then, our 'immortality' was a perverted version of the one the Dragon Riders and elves have. I won't tell you more, it's best if no one else knows about it," Naruto pointedly looked into the dust-sized dimensional hole.

" _Hmmm, I wonder if I could use my eye power to see the Eldunari within that space?_ " wondered Naruto as he sent even more chakra into his right eye.

Then to the shock of everyone except the Eldunari, who hadn't forgotten the blonde's earlier display of power, the originally miniscule hole expanded until it reached the height of the entrance, revealing glowing crystalline orbs as they pulsed at different intervals while bathing the rest of the chamber with a soft light.

Closing his eyes, Naruto withdrew the flow of chakra that ran through his eyes as they switched back to their original cerulean blue. With the switch, the pocket dimension once again closed itself off from the rest of the world.

Upon opening his eyes, Naruto was greeted to the astonished gazes of Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and most of all his dragon. The first three quickly recovered as they just chalked it up to their friend and to one of them, lover, as just another impossible event turned possible in the ordinary life of Naruto.

However, the last pair of eyes remained wide open as he looked at the seemingly ordinary, in his eyes at least (it was hard to tell what the two-legs considered handsome or beautiful), human that with a single glance and a burst of energy, managed to rip open an impenetrable pocket dimension that was keyed to the energy of the user.

Shaking his head, the dragon toothily grinned as he continued to follow his Rider, his head just a foot away from Naruto's shoulder while shuddering in anticipation of the days to come.

Continuing forward past Eragon and Saphira, Naruto stopped once again before Arya, who immediately strode forward and grabbed the once burned and mangled hand while slightly pausing over his new gedwëy ignasia. Sighing, Naruto watched as his elven lover fussed over his long healed hand, turning it over and constantly touching it, more for her sake of assuring he was safe than for his.

Once she was satisfied that his hand was fully functional, Arya proceeded to intertwine her fingers before locking them in a semi-deathgrip as if to shield the hand from any potential sources of damage.

Despite already knowing about Arya's protectiveness, Naruto still couldn't resist finding how cute the usually cold elf could be when she displayed her caring side.

Bringing his hand back up to her eyes, Arya gave it another scan, "Naruto, love, are you sure your hand is alright?"

"Arya, my hand is fine. See?" Naruto soothingly said as he wriggled his hand out of her grip while moving his fingers through the air. Nodding her understanding, Arya still grabbed his wiggling hand out of the air and once again intertwined their fingers, only this time with a gentle grip.

Grinning, Naruto slowly circled his thumb on her hand, marveling at the velvety softness of her light honey skin. His smile soon grew bigger when he saw her turn a delicious red.

Gently glowing like the morning sun, Arya rolled her eyes in exasperation herself closer to lean her head on his broad shoulder, allowing her irresistible fragrance, which smelled of crushed pine needles and a subtle hint of wildflowers, to wash over him. As one, the two began the journey back to the surface.

Meanwhile, the others, including the newborn dragon, stared at the blatant display of affection the two were showing, shocked at the degree of obvious warmth and love the normally stoic elf was showing, as the couple slowly ascended with a grace known only to those who had completely control over their bodies the passageway under Doru Araeba, seemingly lost in their own world.

"Hey Saphira, is it just me, or is this really happening?" Eragon nudged Saphira on her side as he wondered how in Alagaesia the two were already so comfortable with being so intimate already. Even if they obviously liked each other before they got together, they were practically glued together. " _How…how shameful!_ " and with that, he covered both of his eyes as Saphira glanced away from the spectacle only to roll her eyes at the childishness of her Rider.

"Little one, you can already see with your sharp eyes how they are clinging onto each other. What do you want me to do? Smack you on the head?"

Although Eragon didn't answer, she could feel through their mental link the beginning of a nod. And so, with a _light_ flick of her tail, the same tail that decapitated many an Urgal and human, Saphira whacked him from behind, snorting in amusement as Eragon, for all of his formidable strength and chakra reserves, was face planted into the stone floor.

As Eragon sputtered and was in the process of getting back on his feet, Umaroth and the other Eldunari sweat dropped as they wondered whether they shouldn't have waited for another hundred years for another Rider.

After getting over his initial shock, Naruto's dragon awkwardly made his way to his Rider, still unused to the idea of walking after being trapped inside an egg for over a thousand years. Not wanting to be forgotten, even if it was because of his Rider's mate, the eldest of the six was about to poke Naruto's shoulder with his snout when suddenly, he felt a hand land on his snout, the only part of his face that was not completely armored in metal spikes.

"Don't think I forgot about you." Naruto started as he rubbed the snout that was almost the size of his head, eliciting an odd rumbling that when he felt through their new mental link, he found out to be purring.

Amused, Naruto continued his scratching as the trio continued up the slope as Arya's free hand twitched, wanting to also do what Naruto was doing, "Soon enough, we'll be spending so much time together you'll want to be left alone…especially I put you through aerial training. Oh that's going to be entertaining…never taught anybody how to dodge projectiles that could fly hohoho…"

Elf and dragon that day formed a bond almost as strong that between Rider and dragon the moment they heard the ominous whispering and giggling of a maybe mad blonde.

"Elf…just what kind of devil have I joined myself to?" whimpered the hatchling as he quickly switched to the other side, allowing Arya to stroke his nose.

" _Shinobi_ ," stressed Arya as they continued upward, "shinobi, not devil." When the dragon looked at her confusedly, she patted his nose.

"Once you two have time alone, I am sure he will tell what you wish to know. Just be ready for hell on Alagaesia when he mentions training, it is actually just a way for him to let out his inner sadist."

Beside her, Naruto pouted as a small thundercloud formed above his head, startling everyone as it started to rain, pelting the blonde with tiny raindrops although he stayed dry. After several moments of watching and wondering how he was not wet, Arya rolled her eyes as she tugged him forward up the tunnel with the others following several steps behind.

Half an hour later of dark corridors and pale werelight, the group finally saw the faint golden outline of the shut gates when they heard a loud smack of flesh against flesh. Startled, they all swept their gazes towards the source, only to see a fading red handprint on Naruto's forehead as large tears were pouring through his eyes.

Slightly disturbed by the abnormally large tear drops flowing from the edges of the blonde's eyes, they continued to watch Naruto cry anime tears as he muttered under his breath, "Stupid, sooooo stupid. Why didn't I just Kamui past these stone doors? And shut up furball, this isn't funny!"

Everyone, except for a certain dragon, rolled their eyes once again as they watched the most powerful being in the world beat himself up about not getting past the most well-kept secret in all of Alagaesia. Said dragon looked at everyone in slight confusion, wondering who exactly this furball was as the last time he looked…nobody was particularly furry.

His question was answered when his partner glowed a malicious red before something popped with a puff of smoke above his head. As the smoke cleared, there were several reactions.

Eragon, Saphira, and Arya, looked in amusement as they saw the fox that embarrassed their friend earlier when they first arrived.

Umaroth and the others watched in horror of seeing that beast, no matter how small or innocent it looked, out in the open air.

The dragon just looked dumbfounded, wondering where in the world the tiny fox came from. Before he could ask, Naruto spoke through the link, " _We'll talk about this later. By the end of the day, you will know everything there is to me, along with your siblings._ " The baby dragon dragged his eyes away from the odd fox as he nodded his understanding to the blonde who had stopped crying and was looking at him.

After his episode, Naruto coughed into his hand as he raised a question. "So now what? I'm guessing you don't want me to force our way through these doors," Naruto said jokingly as Umaroth and the other Eldunari mentally protested.

Within a second, the doors slowly opened as Umaroth uttered a phrase in the ancient language. Free of the confines of the earth at last, the remnants of the Dragon Rider Age looked out on their greatest pride…as well as their greatest failure.

" _Doru Araeba, capital of Vroengard and most importantly, home and sanctuary of the dragons and Dragon Riders…now an abandoned ghost town and ruined buildings. All because of a few traitors. But most of all, because of our arrogance that blinded us from recognizing the obvious threat right before our eyes._ " Eragon heard Umaroth sigh as the elder dragon reminisced about the disaster that forced their once proud race into hiding in the darkest corners of all the land.

" _Do not worry, Umaroth-elda,_ " Eragon and Saphira thought back as they watched Naruto send Arya and his dragon into his personal dimension and then appear with a burst of speed on top of Saphira's back, " _When we finally defeat Galbatorix, we will create a better Order, one that shows compassion and understanding to all but the most despicable of criminals. While it will not bring back the dead or grant you your old bodies, we can make sure that such a mistake never happens again…even if we must draw ourselves away from Alagaesia herself._ "

Looking sharply at his young charge, Umaroth realized that Eragon, despite his age, already knew what had to be done. " _You are correct hatchling. Once Galbatorix is defeated, the people of the Empire will rejoice at his downfall, but at the same time will reject any Rider from helping them. This rejection will last for years, decades, and possibly even centuries after this day and so our only option…is to fade away. Should Alagaesia ever need us, we will be there, but in return we will stay away from any minor conflicts and let the other races figure out their own problems._ "

As Eragon climbed onto the saddle attached to Saphira – she was too large to just jump on now – he thought on his elder's words and wondered not for the first time, just where would they go after killing Galbatorix? However, he placed those thoughts to the side as Naruto yelled out from behind him.

"So…what do dragons eat exactly? Because I can feel from my bond that my dragon is getting rather hungry."

Before Eragon could answer, Umaroth supplied one, " _Naruto-finiarel, back before Galbatorix, the snail like creatures, or Snalglí, were a favorite of ours. They should be scattered around the island. But be warned, ever since the Fall, they have mutated and are even capable of nullifying magic to a certain degree._ "

No sooner had the words left the white Eldunari's mind when several dozen clones of Naruto popped out from behind their creator and dashed away in a blur, hunting for poor five-foot tall giant mutated snails to send back into the Kamui dimension for the dragon to feast on.

One clone remained behind as Naruto winked at Eragon, "Well, I'm off to go have some _fun_ with my pet…I mean my students. Well then, later!" Said Rider watched in amusement as his fellow Rider disappeared in a swirl of black before patting his own dragon on her sapphire neck.

"Let's go, other half of my life. We have a war to win and a king to kill."

For the first time in a century, the roar of a dragon rang out through the dead city of Doru Araeba as Saphira roared out her agreement before pouncing into the sky with her power hindquarters and following the directions the Eldunari were giving as she flew the long distance between Vroengard and the mainland.

Some Time Later….

Meanwhile, in the Kamui dimension…a certain elf was frantically running through a giant forest as all manner of weapons including kunai, shuriken, maces, hammers, and swords thudded directly where she was milliseconds ago.

"Damnit Naruto, I knew that this training was going to be brutal, but why did you not at least blunt the blades?!" Arya complained under her breath as she quickly ran only one seal for a Kawarimi, disappearing in a small puff of smoke as several shuriken impaled themselves into a log before a mace came sailing into the picture, completely shattering the log into splinters.

Sweat dropping both in exasperation at the now destroyed log that could have been her and in exhaustion, Arya shot an evil glare up at the blonde in the tree who, just moments ago, was laughing maniacally as he summoned and then launched the thousands of projectiles from the large scroll he was holding in his hands.

" _Man, I can see why Tenten always had that smile on her face whenever she used this scroll. It's oddly satisfying to throw weapons until my target is a pincushion._ " Naruto grinned when he saw the look Arya was giving him.

"Had enough Arya? I understand that after a couple weeks of dodge training, you're getting tired of it. But you have to admit, you've gotten much better at the Kawarimi." Naruto called out as he jumped down in front of Arya.

Although she didn't want to admit it, her control over the Kawarimi had improved dramatically to the point that after maybe another day or two of training, she could utilize the jutsu without any seals.

"Say Naruto, after all this time with you, I have never seen you personally train. Your clones don't count." Arya quickly cut off Naruto when he opened his mouth to argue. Snapping his jaws shut, Naruto raised a thoughtful eyebrow before rolling up the sleeves and on his arms and his pants as he sent a burst of chakra through the seals on his limbs.

Definitely looking at the script that glowed for a second and not her lover's tanned and well-muscled arms and legs, which Arya absently thought how odd it was that she never saw them until now, the elf looked in interest at the graceful and esoteric symbols that flowed over said limbs. Seeing Arya's questioning gaze, Naruto pointed at the seals around his wrists and ankles.

"The script you just saw on my arms and legs are part of an area called Fuinjutsu and are called seals. So far, I have shown you Taijutsu from our spars, Ninjutsu from the elemental attacks you have seen, and Genjutsu when I pulled you and Eragon into my Tsukuyomi. You've seen the destructive capabilities, both physical and mental, of these different areas of jutsu have when performed. But," Naruto paused as Arya listened with rapt attention, waiting for the next part, "despite how powerful they are, almost none of them can match what Fuinjutsu can do."

Arya widened her eyes in astonishment; she had seen how Naruto shattered the heavily reinforced armor of Fäolin with blindingly fast punches and kicks and then proceeded to destroy an entire plateau with nothing but a dropkick. She also remembered how he used a gigantic wooden dragon that remained undamaged despite being bathed in dragon fire. And finally, she remembered how Eragon found his true name in a matter of minutes through a Tsukuyomi.

And to think all of this couldn't match this Fuinjutsu?

"Impossible, how could this be? What could mere writing possibly be able to do that the jutsu you have shown us cannot? By the Log, you even brought back the spirit of Brom back from the realm of the dead!" After training extensively in the Kawarimi for two weeks, she was all but converted to the religion that many of the shinobi back in the Elemental Nations swore to.

"What you say is true, but I must remind you that the only reason I was only able to do so was because of these eyes." Naruto said as he pointed towards eyes that had morphed into the Rinne-Sharingan before switching back. "The few jutsu that could possibly match or surpass Fuinjutsu are mostly related to these eyes. But remember when I prolonged the amount of time you all had back in Ellesméra? That was through seals. The time when I broke the connection between Fäolin and his dragon? Fuinjutsu. Seals can do anything, literally anything as long you have the knowledge and imagination to do so."

"But I diverge. These seals you see on my arms and legs are called resistance seals and as its name implies, they make any action I do that much harder. Right now, I just set my seals to 60x resistance. Before it was 45x, but after I found my true name, my body was partially reformed and now I need higher resistance seals." Naruto stopped as he placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, "Now that I think about it…I really should place these seals on you so that you can train all the time."

Arya just stood there in shock as she, not for the first time, realized the huge difference in power between them as she not for the first time grew dejected…at least until Naruto wrapped his arms around her.

After becoming a couple for over two weeks, the amount of embarrassment she used to feel from simple touches and hugs from Naruto decreased. Now all she felt was warmth and security as she let herself be held by her sun, the one person that could make her feel such fuzzy feelings.

Knowing that due to her upbringing, Arya still had slight problems with being in an 'unequal' relationship as she put it, Naruto chose his words carefully after holding her for a minute.

"Arya, don't be discouraged by the power difference between us. You are remarkably powerful even compared to the shinobi back in my homeland and just your wards would make you a force to be reckoned with. And all of this without realizing the true potential of the chakra within you." Pulling slightly away, Naruto raised his right hand as he brushed her cheek, still marveling at the silkiness beneath his thumb just like he had during the first time as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Naruto…" whispered Arya before a finger pressed onto her full lips.

"I love you for who you are, not the amount of power you have. But if you still feel insecure, then I will train you into the ground, bring you forth from the edge of physical and chakra exhaustion, and by the time I'm done, you will have all of the power you could ever want. Remember, you have one thing almost nobody back home had…immortality – a powerful tool if used correctly. So don't," Naruto pulled their foreheads together as the tips of the noses touched, "don't ever become disappointed in yourself, because I sure as hell am not. I love you Arya, no matter how powerful or weak you are."

With those words, Arya just melted into his embrace as all of her previous worries and doubts that had always been somewhere in the back of her mind just vanished, like a shadow in sunlight. Raising her head slightly, Arya suddenly surged forward as she pressed her lips against his and slightly closed her eyes.

Stunned for only an instant, Naruto responded as he drew her closer with one of his hands pressing on the curve of her spine, the leather breastplate she always seemed to wear molded against his muscled chest, while groaning in pleasure as his other hand tangled itself in her midnight black hair.

Ever so gently so as to not startle her, Naruto tilted her head further up as he deepened the kiss before lightly nibbling on her sensitive bottom lip, drawing out a surprised moan of passion as she felt electricity run through her nerves and down her spine.

" _Oh…I could really grow to like this,_ " thought Arya as her toes curled from the newfound enjoyment of their kissing and her hands bunched the back of his shirt at his shoulders, desiring only for this moment to go on forever.

Unfortunately, all good things have to end.

 _BOOM_

Just as Naruto was about to go further with the kiss, a tremor ran through the ground underneath them as _something_ of significant mass impacted the earth just a couple of miles away from them. Breaking off their kiss, Naruto whirled around as he shielded Arya from the incoming shockwave.

"Doton – Doryūheki!" With a stomp of his foot, a 10 feet tall and 6 feet thick chakra coated earth wall sprang up from the ground in front of them, fully shielding them from the blast. In the next second, the grass and trees around them flattened themselves to the ground as the solid wall in front of them stayed strong.

A full minute passed until the aftereffects wore off. Receiving a message from the Kage Bunshin that was supervising his dragon's training, Naruto gained several tics on his forehead as he again stomped the ground as he made the earth wall in front of them sink back into the ground. With a surge of chakra and a snap of his fingers, the clone that caused the mess was forced to undergo internal combustion as he exploded some distance away from them.

What awaited their eyes bemused the both of them, more for Arya than for Naruto.

Several feet in front of them was what looked like a black metal pile that occasionally twitched, which they realized was Naruto's dragon, who had almost doubled in length and size. Raising his head, the young dragon sheepishly looked over at the staring couple who he knew were doing one of their weird mating rituals from the mental connection they shared.

Further behind him was the smoking remains of a three-story tall meteor that now laid in several large pieces, scattered in the forest.

As the dust cleared, the two walked towards the still twitching dragon as any dents in his armor were automatically mended due to the Asura path he inherited from his Rider.

Checking over his dragon, Naruto concernedly asked, "Hey, you alright? I know the training is supposed to be harsh, but I didn't think my clone would be flinging building sized meteors at you this early. They were only supposed to be half as big."

The dragon merely rolled his glowing fiery eyes when he heard his Rider's question and following statement.

After arriving in the Kamui dimension, Naruto had allowed the dragon into his mind, guiding his mind while preventing his own from crushing the intruder. After a few seconds, Naruto realized that due to the bonding, their minds were somehow similar enough that they wouldn't reject each other, greatly relieving him as he didn't wish to accidentally mush his dragon's mind to paste.

Needless to say, the young dragon was beyond shocked by what he found in his Rider's memories.

A trained killer from a foreign land? He could accept that.

The most powerful shinobi to ever live in the Elemental Nations? That was to be expected.

Dead last in the Academy? …Must have been a glitch or something in the blonde's memories.

Container for the most powerful of the Bijuu, who could crush mountains and create tsunamis with a brush of its tail? Now it's getting ridiculous.

But to have faced a man capable of summoning giant meteors, creating forests, and summoning a giant ethereal warrior…and then proceeded to seal away a Goddess and a combination of all the Bijuu within him?

Impossible.

But the memories were there, and it would explain just how his Rider grew to be so powerful. At first, he feared whether he made too hasty a decision in choosing Naruto as his Rider: wondering whether they could ever have the close relationship dragons and their Riders had to the point that they felt like one being both in and out of combat. Someone with so much power and shinobi paranoia should have problems with letting others in, right?

He needn't have worried as over the two weeks inside the Kamui dimension, Naruto had shown him nothing but compassion and kindness…except during the 'training'. Seriously, what kind of sadistic bastard would throw meteors at the dragon he was bonded to.

His thoughts were interrupted when Arya sighed with a degree of amusement, "Naruto, was it really necessary to drop meteors on top of your dragon for dodging practice? You do realize had it been any other dragon, he or she would have been crippled for life, even with the elven arts."

"I did it precisely because he is my dragon. Don't underestimate the armor of my Asura Path; a whole castle could probably fall on him and he would only have a few fractures that could be easily healed, which is why I had to use meteors as conventional weapons would just bounce off of him." Naruto reasoned as he then held up two fingers.

"The only two weaknesses he truly has are his wings, while sturdier than due to the metal entwined with his scales, bones, and muscles, the flaps themselves are still more susceptible to damage, although it would take a damn sharp blade and significant force. The second would be the scar on his chest. While ordinary weapons would melt before they punched through, an accurate ballista shot would be more than enough to pierce through and cause fatal damage to his organs, even with the Asura path reinforcement. This could change for the better or for the worse as he ages, but for now, I will be creating wards and seals directly linked to my untapped chakra pool. That should be enough to protect him from anything."

The two students nodded their understanding as they knew only sufficient danger would be able to make them take the training seriously and due to their natural physical abilities, drastic measures had to be taken. However, they soon paled when they saw a familiar, but dreaded, wide smile that showed off his longer than normal canines.

"If you really thought the meteors were too much, I wonder how you feel about the next part of the training." The God of Shinobi smirked when he saw their expressions. "Hint: it involves a certain fox's tails."

Arya looked in confusion, since the only fox she knew related to her love was a cute chibi barely ye high, as her fellow victim slowly backed away, his eyes wide as giant dinner plates as he realized who his Rider was talking about.

"Don't worry though, my clone contacted me that we have almost arrived at the Varden encampment and it would seem…we are about to have a fight. So we'll postpone that training…for later." Excitement burned through the dragon's eyes as he stretched to his full size, showing off that he was as long and tall as Saphira was before her transformation.

Naruto simply looked amused as he too looked forward in anticipation, planning on perhaps increasing his resistance seals to further train his body and skills through the coming fight.

Although she would forever deny it, Arya also grew heated at the mention of the coming battle. Beneath her cold exterior lied a hot-blooded warrior that, while not enjoying the slaughter of her opponent, reveled in the full usage of her skills in both blade, magic, and now chakra that she trained so hard for.

All three grinned at each other before Arya schooled her expression into cold, unemotional one as Naruto transferred all of them out of his personal dimension.

As they appeared back in reality, it would only take a few days before all of Alagaesia knew that there existed yet another free dragon.

And this one would make his ancestors proud.

Notes:

Yuki no Kuni – Land of Snow

Doton – Doryūheki – Earth Style: Mud Wall

Hello everyone, sorry for the long periods of no updates. I've been having some pretty major writer's block as well as getting past this part of the story and onto the more exciting bits. Also, I'm trying to portray a realistic view of Naruto's and Arya's love…which is quite difficult and I now fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into weaving romance into any story. Please leave a review and thank you for reading!


	51. I am

Chapter 51

Around 50 miles away from their destination, the clone, who was snoozing while nestled in between the spikes running down Saphira's back, snapped his eyes open when he heard the harsh sounds of grinding metal and stomps of steel-tipped boots.

"I see you've finally decided to join us back in the land of the living." Eragon called out when he felt the clone shift its weight.

"I felt that we were close to the Varden encampment. That scrying technique really is quite useful when communicating over large distances," yelled back the clone over the shriek of the wind as he remembered how Ajihad had scryed Eragon several days ago.

Flashback

 _It was the second day after leaving the deserted island of the Dragon Riders when Eragon, who was flying on top of Saphira along with the Naruto clone, felt the small mirror he always kept on him heat up._

 _Pulling out the mirror from a pocket, Eragon brought it up to eye level and to his surprise saw the face of the leader of the Varden, Ajihad._

 _"Greetings Eragon Shadeslayer, I have been trying to contact you for days and only now have been able to with the help of the elven spellcasters Queen Islanzadí sent us one week ago. Now give me an update of your situation and when you will be back."_

 _"Ajihad, I have made great gains in strength, both physically and magically, and have discovered a startling secret that I cannot and will not say as of now. We will have more words about this later...in person. Currently, we have just passed over The Spine and are making our way to Surda to meet up with you," responded Eragon, noting how the black leader seemed to relax at his words._

 _"Any increases in your strength can only benefit our cause. I only hope that it did not come with too high a price, at least from what Blödhgarm told me, your progress was rather sudden. As for this secret, I will not force you to tell me as I trust your judgment in this,"Eragon nodded his thanks as Ajihad continued, "As for Surda, instead make your way to Feinster, for that is where the next battle will be. If you must resupply, you can stop by Aroughs; Jörmundur took the city earlier this week and is on route back to us."_

 _"Will do Ajihad, I predict that if all goes well and nothing stops us, we should be there by the end of this week."_

 _"Good, then prepare to fight the day after you arrive. This will be a siege battle, which is completely different to what you have faced before."_

 _"Understood, if that is all, then see you on the battlefield Ajihad." Eragon said as he ended the spell, watching as the mirror he held faded back to black._

Flashback End

"At the speed we're going, we should be at the camp within the hour, so you should probably call out Naruto now so he doesn't startle the soldiers." Eragon informed the clone as he used his chakra to stick to Saphira, having finally learned the secret behind Naruto's seemingly glued body, while checking and double-checking his sword, wards, and most of all jewels, with the last item already refilled by the clone.

"Surprise my ass. I wouldn't be surprised if even some of those elves died of a heart attack from what they're about to see," muttered the clone as he dispelled, although not before he heard a chuckle from Eragon and a rumbling laugh from Saphira who had been listening in.

An instant later, Arya, Naruto, and his dragon whirled into existence beside the flying duo.

Startled at the height they were at, the metallic dragon desperately flapped his wings as he did his best to avoid plummeting to his maybe death, along with his two passengers.

Although he was sure nothing would happen to either of them since Naruto was well…Naruto.

Meanwhile, Eragon and Saphira stared at the dragon that popped into existence beside them, astounded by the sudden increase in the dragon's length and size.

" _It's been hardly a week, and he has already grown to the size Saphira was! What a monster,_ " thought Eragon although Saphira, who was also surprised at the growth rate of her fellow dragon, felt something more than just that when she looked at the younger dragon.

" _Only a week and yet the hatchling is already my size if Naruto hadn't transformed me. If he keeps this up, he might actually be the same size as me within the year or so. Impressive._ " Saphira thought as she glanced over the younger dragon, taking in how instead of scales, he seemed to mostly have thick metal plates that frankly intimidated her.

She would definitely not want to ram into him, especially with those sharp spikes.

As Naruto and Arya made themselves comfortable behind the two horns that flared back at the base of the dragon's head, the new Rider realized that despite training him for two weeks, he has never actually ridden on his dragon.

Rubbing the area in front of him where metal armor met with dragon scales, Naruto reached out through the mental bond the two shared.

" _Hey, I know that with everything going on that we've been busy training you so that you would be able to protect yourself, but I just realized that this is our first flight together as Dragon and Rider._ " Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto continued as he watched his dragon tilt his head towards them, " _From what Eragon and Saphira told me, the first flight between Rider and Dragon is what truly bonds the two together and creates a connection like none other. And so I'm sorry for not even bothering to ask for a flight._ "

" _Don't worry Naruto, I know that we've been busy with my training and I am beyond thankful that you have done so. So there is nothing you need to apologize for._ " The dragon shook his head, knowing that his Rider meant every word. " _However, if you're really that sorry…we could have some fun with this one, after all it's our first._ "

Hearing this, Naruto looked into the burning eyes of his dragon and widely grinned when he saw his own smile mirrored on his dragon's face – although the way the heavy metal lower jaw seemed to twist was a little odd.

Arya, who did not hear the little conversation, was startled when the dragon they were riding suddenly accelerated forwards. Reflexively applying chakra to her legs, she leaned forward as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's midsection and clung on for dear life as the dragon underneath her suddenly flew sharply upwards.

Tightly holding onto the hands that had suddenly wrapped around his stomach, Naruto leaned back as he kissed the smooth forehead of Arya, completely unconcerned that if he stopped chakra circulation to his legs, he would fall from the height of over a kilometer…if he didn't already know how to fly.

"It'll be fine, Arya-hime. Just open your eyes and look; it's quite the view."

And so she did…just as the dragon started corkscrewing through the air.

That was a mistake.

As Naruto was laughing in excitement, he suddenly choked when the arms around his chest suddenly squeezed the air out of them.

"Naruto," started Arya as she smiled sweetly, a little too sweetly for it to be genuine, at a now sweating Naruto, "could you please tell your dragon to stop rolling around in the air like a dog does in the mud?"

Knowing exactly what that smile meant, Naruto lamented how all women seemed to know that particular smile as well as the Puppy Eyes no Jutsu. It just wasn't fair, especially when their effectiveness increased by 100 times when used by Arya.

"Yes dear." Naruto immediately said as he sent a mental command to his dragon, telling him no more rolling around – at least when Arya was with them. Understanding that despite his Rider being all powerful, in the end his mate was somehow able to intimidate him out of certain actions and decisions, such as suggesting Arya to go through the same training as him.

That didn't go well at all with Arya.

That was the day the baby dragon realized it didn't matter how powerful you were, your loved ones were the ones who held you by the balls, and Naruto wasn't an exception.

So instead of rolling around in the air, the dragon settled for performing barrel rolls that sometimes almost touched the clouds for a few minutes before hovering just below them.

At first confused as to why his dragon stopped, Naruto stopped when he was suddenly pulled into the dragon's mind. When he was about to ask the reason, the newest Dragon Rider when he realized he was looking through his dragon's eyes at a view that few in the world ever got to see.

And what a view it was.

With his dragon's enhanced fiery eyes, Naruto could see the details of the land for hundreds of miles, sharp and clear as if they were but a few feet away.

The majestic outlines of the mountains and their scintillating snowy caps

The harsh yet still beautiful brown and yellow sand of the desert as a sandstorm kicked up, hiding parts of the land behind a veil of sand.

The deep blue almost purple depths of the lakes and the lighter blue of the clear running rivers and streams that seemed to want to drown him.

The deep green of the forests and grass of the plains that still dripped with the morning dew and reminded him of the eyes of his lover sitting right behind him.

And finally, the seemingly endless blue sky dotted with white fluffs of clouds, and if he looked hard enough, the brilliant stars that hid themselves from view during the day.

Then he noticed that red, orange, and yellow hues were far more vibrant and alive while other the other colors were more subdued and muted. It didn't detract from the stunning view at all; if anything, it seemed to enhance it, as if by coloring in tiny imperfections the view as a whole became all the more real and alive.

" _Is this what you see all the time?_ " whispered Naruto when he felt a chuckle rumble underneath him.

" _Technically no, as this is the first time I have ever flown so high and in the real world. That is actually why I had to stop; for thousands of years, the only color I have known was the black of darkness. That was until you,_ " with this the dragon turned to Naruto as he dipped his head, but the blonde knew just how much that small movement meant considering the extreme pride the dragons held for their kind.

" _In all of my years, I have never once had an inkling of desire to hatch for anyone and once Galbatorix destroyed the Order, I had lost hope that I would ever see the light. You were like the sun that drove off the darkness. You gave me back the hope that I would see the same sights that my ancestors did millennia ago. You gave me warmth when all I could feel was the cold grip of despair. There are no words, not even in the ancient language, that could express my gratitude for bringing us to the world; even though they haven't hatched yet, I know they will feel the same. And so I make a promise with you, Naruto Uzumaki, last God of Shinobi, my claws will tear apart your foes, my teeth will devour them, my wings will blast them apart, my armor shall be your sanctuary, and my eternal flames will incinerate all obstacles. And should there be a time when the world betrays you, I shall crush the land and its people to dust if you but ask it of me. This, I swear to you in the name of the greatest of dragons, Raugmar the Dread, last leader of the wild dragons of Alagaesia whose wings covered all of Du Weldenvarden in shadow!_ "

Minutes passed by as Naruto stayed silent, with no one disturbing that silence as Arya picked up that something momentous had happened between the two and stayed still as a rock. Finally, he broke it as he spoke in his original tongue.

"I accept your oath, eldest of Raugmar the Dread and in return, I shall name you," Naruto solemnly said as even the wind over a kilometer up seemed to still, "From now on, you are Asura, named after the Rinnegan path you have inherited and according to another religion, a being that can fight the gods."

" _Asura…,_ " the dragon, now named Asura, rolled the name around in his mind as felt the power and meaning behind it. " _My name, my name, my NAME, MY NAME._ " Finally, the young dragon could no longer hold it in as he roared out a plume red orange flames tinged with black that near the consistency of lava while bellowing out his name to the world.

"MY NAME IS ASURA, ELDEST OF RAUGMAR THE DREAD, AND DRAGON OF NARUTO UZUMAKI – LAST GOD OF SHINOBI!"

xXx

Miles away, the twelve elven spellcasters that Queen Islanzadí had sent to aid the Varden were meditating when a might roar that made the air itself tremble ripped through the camp. Instantly snapping their heads to the northwest, their faces paled when they realized that the roar could've only belonged to one race in Alagaesia.

A dragon.

And that dragon did not sound at all like the one they heard from Saphira Brightscales. No, this one was more guttural, more primitive, as if from the time when dragons were still wild and beholden to no one but themselves and their leader.

They had no idea at the time how right they were.

Their eldest and most powerful spellcaster, Blödhgarm, immediately called out to the others as they sprinted from the tent they were stationed in to the outside perimeter in a matter of seconds. Speaking out in the ancient language, a barrier made of pure energy formed as they gathered thoughts together as they prepared for a mental war with the enemy Rider.

Scanning the horizon, Blödhgarm narrowed his keen cat-like yellow eyes as he searched for the enemy, only to arch a blue eyebrow when he saw the familiar gleaming sapphire scales of Saphira as well as the young human Eragon. Curiously, when he reached his mind towards him in order to communicate, he felt the presence of multiple voices, which he never felt before in his centuries of life.

"Laufin, Wyrden, continue the barrier, Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Brightscales are only around 20 miles away. Everyone else, prepare for battle." Seeing the elves nod, the blue-haired elf furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "However, there is still no sign of the other dragon. Just where could he be?"

Several minutes passed before a great hulking black armored beast dropped from the clouds next to Alagaesia's only free Dragon Rider and dragon. Although the dragon was only about half as large as Saphira, the blue elf admitted that the new dragon looked far more terrifying, with its black armored spikes and the eerie red glow down its chest.

Knowing that there would be wards against projectiles, Blödhgarm and the rest of the elves focused their magic into a mighty mental spear that glowed a pale green, one capable of ripping through any wards, any mental shields…

…if the Rider and dragon were a normal pair.

With a single word, the twelve elves flung the mental spear with deadly accuracy, targeting the new dragon. As the spear flew into motion, they watched in anticipation, waiting for the beast to fall and with it, another potential threat to the Varden. However, their eyes widened when their superhuman sight spotted a certain blonde and princess riding behind the dragon's head.

"It cannot be…" started Blödhgarm as he squinted his eyes to better focus on the two. "Barzul! Why is Naruto-finiarel and Arya-svit-kona riding on the enemy dragon? Could they have been captured? But then how could Naruto-finiarel of all people be captured unless…"

His cat-eyes widened dramatically when his quick elven mind came to a startling conclusion, one that gave him immense joy before before shoving him into a pit of horror. "Unless…one of them is the Dragon Rider and they somehow either retrieved the last egg, or found another one. If they found one, then surely there must be more and the race of dragons is not finished!" His words were clearly heard by those and the excitement they felt were clearly visible on their faces.

"However, we also just launched our most powerful mental attack that will be soon arriving in less than a minute. We can only hope that Naruto-finiarel's vast powers will allow him brush off our attack." The other elves just looked to their leader in horror of what they had just done; they just potentially crippled or outright killed one of the two free dragons of Alagaesia…and more importantly Arya and Naruto. And if either Arya or Asura were harmed…

…Naruto was going to be pissed.

xXx

"Oi, Eragon, I finally named my dragon. His name is…" Naruto started before Eragon waved a hand.

"Yes, we know Naruto. His name is Asura; I'm not sure if anyone within a thirty-mile radius doesn't know his name by now. Maybe Asura should roar out again and let everyone in Feinster – the city we're about to invade – know that there's another Dragon Rider." Interrupted Eragon as he chided the immortal on potentially giving away the element of surprise.

Both man and dragon sheepishly chuckled as Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, we had quite the intense moment there and this baby," Asura playfully growled when Naruto tapped his horns, "couldn't keep his excitement down. Not that I blame him. It's much better to be emotional and passionate than cold and unemotional in my books."

xXx

Somewhere, nestled on the shore of a pool of lava, a certain ice-colored egg trembled as the baby inside it sneezed.

xXx

Naruto then felt a rather hard pinch on the side of his waist that he actually felt slight pain from: impressive considering that even though the circulation of chakra was forced to a minimum, his skin and muscle retained the flexibility of flesh and the toughness of steel.

Turning around, Naruto was confronted with dark green emerald orbs with a ring of amber and gold surrounding the pupils as the owner of said eyes tilted her head. "Are you saying that you do not actually love me? Unlike what most others think, I know I can come off as cold and unemotional."

Naruto simply chuckled when he heard his lover's words. "Arya-hime, from what I've seen, you are anything but cold or unemotional when you're with me. Especially that last kiss we shared before exited my Kamui." The blonde smirked when he saw the light honey cheeks, but suddenly frowned when he felt a chakra signature heading their way.

Noticing her love's change in expression, Arya's eyes sharpened as her blush quickly faded away, her muscles tensing for whatever caused the change in expression. Leaning to the right, she looked around Naruto in time to see a glowing ethereal spear hurtling towards them, specifically Asura.

Sharply inhaling, Arya recognized the spell as one used by the elves, a highly advanced technique that directly targeted the mind while ignoring all wards against physical dangers. Its drilling attribute only made it deadlier as the mental barriers most commonly used were walls built to withstand blunt impact or sharp cuts, not a piercing drill attack that could force its way through. The only downside to the technique was that it required multiple fully trained elven spellcasters in order to use such an ability from such a range and with this much power.

"Naruto, will the wards you placed on me hold up against this attack?" Asura called out to his Rider as his self-preservation instincts screamed at him to dodge to the side.

His eyes already switched to the Rinne-Sharingan, Naruto noted the words that made up the spell and could only sigh in admiration at the work of art the attack was, even if it was too weak to do any damage as long he was there.

"No Asura, while my wards around you could allow you to brush off a mountain if it fell on you, they are purely against physical attacks. I still haven't placed mental wards for you yet as I myself am still studying the art of the mind." Instead of panicking at his Rider's words, Asura merely cocked his head to the side, knowing that his Rider would never let fatal harm come to him.

"Ne Arya," Naruto called out as Arya flickered her gaze away from the incoming magical missile to Naruto. "Remember back in Doru Araeba you wanted to know more about these eyes?" Seeing her nod, the blonde immortal let out a wide grin, "Well, you're about to find out."

Before either could say anything, Naruto jumped off Asura as he flew in front of them and directly in the path of the spell. Although they two knew that nothing would happen to the overpowered Hokage, they still couldn't help but slightly worry on the off chance something went wrong.

" _Hmmm, maybe a whole Jonin's and well on the way to a full Kage's worth of chakra – remarkable that the form remained intact over such a distance. Maybe if I incorporate parts of the spell into my Rasengan variations, I could throw them further than before…food for thought. Well, for now…"_ With a single motion, Naruto raised his right hand, palms out towards the incoming projectile as one of the circles on his eyes pulsed.

xXx

" _Just what is the boy doing? He needs to get out of the way, now!_ " every elf down below thought as they watched with growing fear and fascination.

xXx

What happened next shocked everyone present, although to a lesser degree the ones closest to Naruto.

They watched as the spiraling spear of mental destruction came into contact with the outstretched hand. But instead of simply phasing through, the energy seemed to distort, as if its very essence was being unraveled before it just seemed to _melt_ into the hand. And the sheer speed that all of this happened…it only took at most a second for the spell to be rendered harmless and completely absorbed.

When all was said and done, no trace of one of the most destructive spells in the elves' arsenal remained. All that remained was a smirking Naruto who now crossed his arms, his mystical eyes fixed onto the distant group of elves.

xXx

For the first time in their centuries long lives, the twelve elven spellcasters had their jaws drop to the ground. The only thought in their heads was, " _Impossible…_ "

xXx

The group traveling with Naruto gawked at the display for only a moment before schooling their faces into neutral ones. Once Naruto mounted behind Asura's head again, the two dragons, one a scintillating blue and the other a menacing black, continued their away forward, this time at a mile-eating pace so as to avoid more possible attacks.

"Just what was that, Naruto? You said it was related to those eyes of yours…could it possibly be energy absorption?" Arya asked as she drew her conclusions from what she saw. The others leaned as the Eldunari took a break from stuffing knowledge into poor Eragon's head.

Once again turning, Naruto smiled as he noted how easily the elf figured out what happened. "That would be correct Arya. The power you saw before is called the Preta Path of the Rinnegan, one of six available to me. Any technique, no matter how simple or complicated, will have its energy absorbed when they make contact with me as long this path is active."

Arya's eyes grew large at the words as she immediately drew up dozens of possible applications for such a power. "Naruto, this power by itself is amazing. Any magic, mental or otherwise would be useless against you as even attacking with your mind requires using chakra from the first gate. But that energy has to go somewhere, and is the energy you are able to absorb only limited to chakra? And must you make contact with the spell in order to absorb it?"

By this time, they were but a few miles from the encampment as Naruto furrowed his brow, mainly at the second half of the question. "The chakra absorbed becomes a part of me, allowing me to use it however I see fit. However, I am unsure of whether it's only chakra that can be absorbed or if I even need to touch it. I never tried and never found a reason to; it's something to test another day."

With that, the group rode in silence until they finally reached the edge of the camp where the elves were.

With several ground trembling _thumps_ , the two dragons landed as their passengers dismounted, jumping to the ground as the elven spellcasters swiftly made their way towards them, closely followed by Ajihad and the rest of the command chain of the Varden who had by then caught up to the elves.

"Eragon, I'm glad that you are back in time for our first major battle since the Burning Plains." Ajihad greeted as the two stopped a few paces from each other. Glancing towards the other 'human' in the group, the leader of the Varden looked with great interest at the dragon standing protectively by the blonde's side.

"I am too Ajihad, it's good to finally be back. It feels as if it's been years since the last I've been amongst the Varden. So how is the war coming?"

"The war is going well. Although the going has been slower without you here, your training to defeat and kill Galbatorix and his infernal dragon before this battle was of the utmost priority. However, now we cannot afford you to go training for long periods of time; the coming battles will be one after the other and we can expect heavy resistance each step of the way. I just hope the training you did was enough."

Having expected this as they were flying to the Varden, Eragon nodded his understanding and agreement as he felt a confidence not only in his comrades, but for the first time in the fight, in himself.

Finally coming to the new dragon, Ajihad asked with a barely concealed excitement, "I remember you saying that there was a certain secret that you couldn't say during our conversation. Am I correct in saying that the dragon by Naruto's side part of that secret.?"

Eragon slowly nodded, trying to keep his face set as he had an internal argument with the Eldunari. Seeing the Rider's expression, Ajihad kept quiet, figuring that Eragon was mentally communicating with Saphira on something.

" _Umaroth-elda, I must ask for your counsel on an important matter._ "

" _Continue Eragon-finiarel, although I already have a feeling of what you want to ask._ "

Mentally nodding, Eragon called to attention several images of Ajihad, Queen Islanzadí, Oromis, and Glaedr. " _I am thinking of possibly telling these people and dragon about the secret of the Eldunari and of the last eggs. They have a right to know, especially Oromis-elda and Glaedr-elda. However, this secret is not only mine to tell; you have been the guardian for all of these years. It is only proper I ask you as well._ "

Contrary to what Eragon expected, the Eldunari almost immediately responded. " _During the journey back, we have been sifting through your memories and were saddened when we saw Oromis and Glaedr crippled. They were the first to see through Galbatorix's deceptions and the Forsworn; if only we had listened to his counsel., It gladdens our heart of hearts to see them restored back to their full strength, again something we owe Naruto-finiarel. You are right about sharing the secret; they do deserve to know. However, tell the Queen Islanzadí and Ajihad only about us, the Eldunari; say nothing about the eggs. Only tell them after the war is over. As for Oromis and Glaedr, when we meet, we will remove the spell that forced them to forget about our existence._ "

" _Thank you Umaroth-elda._ " Returning his full attention to Ajihad, Eragon swiftly muttered, "Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya."

Knowing the spell, Ajihad's eyes grew serious; for such a secret to warrant such caution, it must be great indeed.

"Ajihad, you must swear to me in the ancient language that what I say stays between us and none other, not even the elves standing outside." After seeing Ajihad nod and swear, Eragon continued.

"After the Battle of the Burning Plains, we found out that the source behind the king's strength is actually Eldunari, or the heart of hearts of dragons that contain the same amount of energy as the dragon when alive. That is the reason why Galbatorix seems to never run out of power despite his fantastic feats." Seeing Ajihad start to frown, Eragon knew that the Varden leader grasped the hidden details.

"I see that you understand. No Eldunari would ever serve the traitor that ended the Order. And so for over a century, Galbatorix has mentally broken hundreds if not thousands of Eldunari, forcing them to supply his spells and enhance his physical abilities to supernatural levels, even beyond the elves."

Now the black leader was not even bothering to hide his displeasure. For years, the Varden and the elves hypothesized just how Galbatorix could be so powerful, but they never expected the use of the Eldunari. But it would explain much of the mysteries surrounding the greatest traitor of Alagaesia.

"However on Doru Araeba, in a place hidden away from history itself, we found over a hundred Eldunari, who agreed to help us and have been teaching me the knowledge they had gathered during their existence. But there was one more a thing: a single egg that hatched for Naruto." Ajihad's eyes widened at the news. If this was true, then they finally had a chance of truly freeing Alagaesia. From Naruto's actions, he knew that the blonde foreigner tried to stay away from getting too involved in the war, and while he did participate in the battles, he never tried to truly end them – just doing enough to insure them victory without the loss of too many men.

But with this, Eragon was now significantly stronger and there was even the small chance that Naruto, who was now a Dragon Rider, would play a greater a role in the war…although he didn't hold too much hope for it.

But he had to know for sure. "Eragon, will Naruto devote more of his energy into this fight? It is painfully obvious to me that despite his spectacular feats, that he has been greatly holding back in the last two battles. With him being a Rider, he is no longer merely a foreigner, but somebody that has stronger ties to this continent than most."

"Oh he definitely has strong ties to Alagaesia, even without Asura," muttered Eragon under his breath, clearly remembering the intimacies between Naruto and Arya as Ajihad looked slightly befuddled at the young Rider.

Realizing that he hadn't actually answered the question, Eragon's snapped back up as he answered, "It is unlikely that Naruto will use more power than he already has in our struggles against the Empire. When he was offered the egg, he made a deal with the Eldunari that before Galbatorix dies, he would give them the knowledge the mad king has. I can understand from where he is coming from; this is not his fight and I have a feeling that soon after the war is over, he will leave and may never return.

Disappointed at the not entirely unexpected response, Ajihad sighed as some of his more ambitious plans died before even reaching the drawing board. "So be it. If that is all, we must update you on the current state of the war."

Nodding, Eragon spoke a few words as he cancelled the sound barrier around them. Turning towards the others, the Rider shot them a look that they understood as he and Saphira proceeded to follow Ajihad, along with the rest of the accompanying Varden who were still staring at the new dragon.

Notes:

Filler chapter to get to the actual battle.

Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya – May we be warded from listeners


	52. Battle on Two Fronts

Chapter 52

As soon as Eragon and Saphira walked off with the Varden contingent, Naruto, Arya, and Asura were almost immediately surrounded by the elven spellcasters who all had distraught expressions on their faces.

"Naruto-finiarel, Arya-svit-kona, are you and the dragon unharmed?" asked Blödhgarm as he glanced over the trio, looking for any signs of injury or mental damage.

Sighing in relief at finding none, Blödhgarm tilted his head downwards in a show of rare humility for an elf. It was a horrifying crime to murder a fellow elf, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally and only grew worse when the victim was the daughter of the current queen of the elves.

"On behalf of the others, I want to apologize for attacking you with one of the strongest spells we have. If anything had happened to you or your dragon, Queen Islanzadí and Oromis-elda would have had our heads. Although just how exactly did you negate our spell if I may ask?" Blödhgarm apologized before asking the question each of the elves had in their mind.

Seeing that they were unlikely to budge on this, Naruto weakly glared at Arya, "I guess I know where your insatiable curiosity comes from."

Arching an eyebrow, Arya tapped her chin as she pointed out, "Naruto, you do realize that most people would have questions that they want answered when they see their most powerful spell or ability get utterly negated with barely a move."

At his lover's remark, Naruto rolled his eyes as huffed out, unable to come up with a suitable comeback. Meanwhile, the surrounding elves just stared, almost unable to believe that their ice princess was actually joking around with the immortal human.

"As for your question," Naruto whirled back to face the others, snapping them out of their brief daze, "the short answer is that I absorbed it. As for how…that's my secret to tell." While not exactly what they wished to hear, Blödhgarm and the others accepted it; it wouldn't be the first time the specifics of a spell were hidden from others.

"Nevertheless, we're glad that none of you were harmed." Peeking over Naruto's shoulder, Blödhgarm performed the elven sign of greeting towards Asura, touching his lips and then twisting his right hand over his sternum…although the black dragon looked quite lost, having not been taught anything about elven greetings.

Seeing the dragon's confusion, Blödhgarm quickly realized the problem as he explained what he did, "Dragon, the motion I did earlier was the elvish way of greeting others. I am sorry for causing the confusion."

Puffing out a small cloud of smoke, Asura merely blinked in response as he waited for the weird furry blue elf to continue.

The leader of the elves quickly realized that the metal plated dragon was waiting for him and promptly asked, "What is your name dragon? And just who is your Rider?"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto couldn't resist as he poked fun at Asura. "Well well well, it would seem your widdle roar wasn't enough. How about you try again, except put some effort into it?"

A very large tick mark developed as Asura glared daggers at the sometimes insufferable blonde. Although he deeply respected his Rider, both because of his past and sheer power, he quickly realized that despite being a century old and once being the Hokage, the blonde still acted childishly once in a while and loved to tease his friends and people close to him.

Intent on having his petty revenge, Asura acted quickly as he exhaled a small but concentrated stream air, causing Naruto to almost fall flat on his face if not for his instinctive use of chakra to stick to the ground. Now instead of his face full of mud, Naruto was instead put into an awkward position as his face was level with the knees of Blödhgarm.

Laughter exploded in Naruto's mind as the Juubi, who had long since retreated back into the seal to take a nap, rolled around in the mindscape, highly amused that a shinobi of his friend's caliber was actually almost blown off his feet by somebody barely two weeks old.

" _Hey fuzzball, stop laughing! It wasn't even that funny and it's not like it's my fault that I let down most of my guard down around my friends!_ " this only made the ancient fox cackle harder as finally, Naruto gave up and settled for mentally pouting at the giant fox while tensing his leg muscles to lift himself off the ground.

He was soon greeted to the mirthful chuckling and humming of the elves as they watched the display with amused eyes. Snorting with pride, Asura hummed along before saying out loud, to the shock of those who didn't know him or the new Saphira.

"As you can see here, Naruto is my Rider and has named me Asura, named after the beings that according to a religion back across the sea were able to fight against the gods themselves. A most worthy name." said Asura in a prideful tone as the elves, for what seemed the tenth time in that many minutes, looked in astonishment at the blonde.

How could they not? The very idea that a dragon would choose a foreigner, who although was admittedly extremely powerful, over the princess of the race that first bonded with them was in their minds quite ridiculous. But before any of them could question, they were transfixed by a ringed glare, courtesy of Asura as he contemptuously glowered at the twelve, already knowing what were their thoughts on his decision.

"I can see the question in your eyes, even if you don't ask. Who I choose to be my Rider is none of your business, elf. And considering that despite there being hundreds of elven Riders and their dragons during the fall of Doru Araeba, your kind, the supposedly most powerful race of all of Alagaesia, was not even able to take down one traitor and his merry band. What right do you have when you couldn't even save my race from near extinction?!" growled out Asura as he enjoyed watching the elves pale in both anger and shame.

On the side, Naruto and Arya kept quiet as they allowed the youngest dragon vent his sorrow and rage, having known how hurt he was even though he never showed it. Naruto gently patted Asura's nose as he mentally assured him that everything was alright as Arya leaned against the side of his broad neck, thus far the only elf he allowed to be so close to him.

Several awkward moments passed before Naruto clapped his hands, instantly disrupting the tense atmosphere. "Well, I think we all had enough of the greetings. How about we go to a more private place as you update us on how the war is going and the current plans to take Feinster?"

Grateful for the interruption, the elves quickly nodded as they ushered the trio to the large tent they were meditating in as they updated them of the situation, "Queen Islanzadí led our race and successfully captured Ceunon one week ago and have been marching on Gil'ead. Oromis-elda and Glaedr-elda were to meet with the queen and the army yesterday before razing the city that kept you imprisoned and tortured to the ground until only ashes remained. The attack is scheduled the day before our own battle. As for Feinster…"

xXx

While the two free Dragon Rider pairs and Arya arrived at the Varden, a tall dark figure stood on the ramparts, looking out onto the plains that surrounded the city as he waited for an imminent attack. When the clouds that obscured the moon dispersed, the details of the man stood out in stark relief to the silvery light that bathed the area.

Pitch black hair, black gloves and a heavy cape that covered a dark crimson armor lined with script in the ancient language, the man looked out with solid black whirlpools for eyes as he turned back, looking with well-hidden disdain for the similarly crimson-clad soldiers as they rushed to and fro, preparing for the worst assault of their lives.

" _Vermin…all of them. Weak beings that can't help but kneel before a greater power than them. So easily manipulated and lied to. Still…they do have their uses_ ," mused the man as a soldier, decked out with a golden helmet and inlays in his cape, ran up to him and hurriedly kneeled, taking off his helmet and not daring to look up from the ground.

"My King, the scouts have reported the presence of ten thousand elves on the move. They will be here within the week."

The soldier continued to kneel as the now revealed Galbatorix, King of the Alagaesia, traitor of the Dragon Rider Order, and slayer of Vrael – strongest of the Riders clasped his hands behind his back, turning as he inwardly sneered.

" _Elves…so arrogant just because of their physical and magical gifts. Fools._ " Galbatorix scoffed as he ordered the general to continue preparing. Once the kneeling soldier left, the mad king pivoted back as he continued his inner rambling.

" _With their power and knowledge, they could have helped the Dragon Rider Order conquer and unite the continent under one banner, bringing peace and eliminating those Urgal abominations._ " For a second, the air around him seemed to twist under his rage as he thought back to his first dragon, Jarnunvösk, before she was killed by a stray arrow to the heart. The fact that he didn't know at the time the correct words to save her drove Galbatorix deeper into his fury as his body trembled with repressed madness.

" _If only I had known the words sooner. If only those thrice-damned fools shared their knowledge when I first started to learn the ancient language, none of this would have happened! Jarnunvösk would still be alive and the Urgal species would have become extinct!_ " With a breathing exercise, Galbatorix slowly calmed his rage as he tapped the floor beneath him.

The ground trembled as a muted black foot lined with claws as large as small houses gripped it. The 'rampart', or better known as Shruikan's nose, grew a pair of glowing orb the color of glaciers and the size of a man opened as it balefully looked up at the human that killed his Rider and forced a bond between them.

Although he was quite insane, he still remembered that instant in time when Galbatorix, along with his helper Morzan, thrust their blades through his chosen Rider's heart. But he could do nothing as his mental defenses were broken long ago and every thought and action of his were under _his_ control.

However, somewhere deep within his mind, secluded from the dementia, in a corner was what was left of the hopeful dragon that was loyal to his chosen one. For a century, he watched as the traitor performed massacres and tragedies, whether they be by his hand or orders. And the worst part was that he too participated in the killings of his own kin. At that point, he shut himself off, escaped and reinforced the only bright corner left of his shadowed mind as he secluded himself from the world.

But should he be given the smallest… _the tiniest_ opening, he would end himself and if possible devour the traitor and send him to the depths of hell if there was one.

For now, however, his body was used as a glorified platform as Galbatorix continued to survey the land, waiting for the elves to come so that he could personally crush them while taunting them of their failures as the light left their eyes. He wouldn't have left Urû'baen if it weren't for this mysterious stranger…Naruto that had showed such power before his connection to the puppet Rider broke off and the powerful ripple of energy that effortlessly broke through his countless wards, one even made up by a certain word.

After the destruction of the elves…

…Naruto was next.

xXx

Over a week has passed from when the group landed and joined the Varden. During that time, Naruto didn't hesitate to drill Arya to the ground in the use of the Kawarimi until she didn't need to use any seals at all.

…although the fact that she had gotten substantially slower with the use of 10x resistance seals to the point that every action felt like as if she were moving in quicksand may have been the main reason why she broke through the last boundary after being showered in (thankfully blunted) weaponry.

Asura had undergone a smaller transformation, but his total length reached an impressive 50 feet. While only a little greater than half of Saphira's size, it was still impressive considering that he was only three weeks old. Most other young dragons would only be the size of a large dog and don't even think of flying…they could barely run with their stubby legs.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the battle currently going on. Despite sieging Feinster for two days, the Varden – which totaled 80,000 men and the catapults they recovered after the Empire retreated after the Battle of the Burning Plains – were still unable to overcome the over 80 feet tall stone wall and mighty oak gates that despite being rammed over and over again, barely had a dent.

Through all of that, the men were peppered by arrows and stones as they attempted to breath the barrier in order to take the city. If only they had the smallest of openings, the 30,000 men army defending Feinster would have no chance.

However, despite everything thrown at it – arrows, boulders, and even magic – the warded walls and gate remained impervious.

Finally, Ajihad, who was now stained with the black of dirt and blood came to Naruto, still standing back at the camp, simply watching as men threw themselves against the city in hopes of somehow breaking it down with sheer force of will. At the same time, Eragon and Saphira landed next to Ajihad as Arya sprinted to catch up to the pair; all approaching the blonde immortal who was now joined by Asura.

Stopping in front of Naruto, Ajihad stood still as he simply looked at Naruto, as the screams of dying men and women rang out in the air. Eragon and Saphira similarly stopped, the two of them near spotless due to not being able to get into the thick of things without becoming pincushions.

Going the last few steps, Arya strode past the trio to stand next to Naruto, snaking her hand towards his as she locked them together. Taking a glance, the newest Dragon Rider took in the view of her battle uniform: plain black leather armor that covered her torso, back, and up to her knees, silvery elven blade that hung at the left of her hip, and a graceful bow and quiver empty of arrows that rested on her back.

Although she currently did not show any sign of emotion, Naruto could see that she was frustrated from the way her fingers were lightly tapping the emerald pommel which softly glowed, filled to the brim with Naruto's chakra.

As Ajihad flicked off some of the grime that stubbornly clung onto his face, Naruto took the opportunity to send some of his potent chakra through their hands, smiling when he saw his love stop tapping on her sword in favor of intertwining their fingers for a closer and firmer grip.

"Naruto, if I'm not interrupting, I have come to ask if you will be participating in the battle. I need to know if the Varden can expect your help in this. Or is two days of battle still not enough?" Hearing the hidden tension in the question, Naruto rubbed his chin with his free hand, remembering yesterday how he responded to the same question.

Flashback

 _After a full day's worth of sieging and getting absolutely nowhere, even with the help of the elves and Eragon, Ajihad grew worried._

 _Oh, he was not worried about whether the Varden would emerge victorious from this battle. He knew that with a nearly fully-trained Dragon Rider pair and over a dozen of highly experienced elven spellcasters that victory was only a matter of time._

 _No…what he was worried was the amount of casualties that they already incurred on the first day alone, with no results. They still had several more siege battles, each one worse than this one at Feinster, and yet they were already stalled, losing hundreds of men despite their numerical and quality advantage. Any longer, and even recruitment would suffer; the potential recruits would only see an organization that threw lives away victorious._

 _…not great for advertisement._

 _And so, Ajihad made his way to the tent that housed the one person who could easily turn the tide of the battle with a single move._

 _"Naruto Uzumaki! May I speak to you for but a moment?" Ever since Eragon told him of what happened on Doru Araeba, his respect and fear of the blonde foreigner shot up. The strength the shinobi wielded was something to be admired, but at the same time should that same power be turned against them, he feared that there would be no one remotely capable of stopping him._

 _And so when Naruto didn't participate in the first day, he didn't ask for a reason. But now, after seeing the casualty reports after only a day, Ajihad felt he had no choice but to interrupt the immortal's peace._

 _Flipping the covers aside, Ajihad strode in front of the meditating blonde. At the disturbance, Naruto opened his eyes, revealing a pair of piercing electric blue eyes. Before Ajihad could begin, Naruto held up a hand, stalling whatever the black leader was about to say._

 _"I know why you are here. I have felt the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and the fact you are here instead of with them, it's clear that little to no progress has been made." If Ajihad was surprised, he didn't show it. He already knew of the mysterious man's sensing abilities and that he was once the military leader of a village filled with shinobi._

 _"So, you are here to ask me for help." Silence pervaded the enclosed space as Ajihad waited for Naruto's answer._

 _Naruto closed his eyes for several seconds as he thought back to the reason why he never used his full powers even when he had his chakra and resistance seals. Deciding to at least temporarily keep to his initial intention, Naruto shook his head in denial as Ajihad sighed._

 _"Ajihad, you know why I haven't joined the fight yet. The only reasons I fought was because it was the Varden that was being attacked and had almost zero chance of winning, and that this wasn't my fight. While I do agree that Galbatorix must be killed and his madness stopped, why should I slaughter innocent people who are just defending their home?"_

 _Naruto was right, Ajihad realized. Unlike the soldiers and Urgals they fought, this time, at least from what his spies found, except for the Empire's spellcasters the rest were all men of Feinster. They did not fight for the mad king but instead for their Lady Lorana, the just ruler of Feinster._

 _As Ajihad struggled to find words to convince the man in front of him, Naruto sighed as he decided to give a little leeway. After all, this was the home of his friends and lover; although Kurama and he decided back when they kicked Fäolin's ass that they would no longer hide their power, those years of being Hokage wore down his brash, younger side…even if it was making a comeback._

 _"One more day. I will not participate for one more day and should the Varden still be in the same position as they were yesterday, I will do one thing that should bring a swift end to the battle. Now go, your men are waiting for you." With that, Naruto waved Ajihad away as the leader of the Varden took the hint, nodding as he left the tent towards the rest of his officers to plan for tomorrow's attack._

Flashback End

Shifting his gaze towards the besieged city, Naruto narrowed his gaze on the magically enhanced oak gates that still stood tall and almost untouched despite the punishment it took.

" _Well Kurama, ready for the first use of my new power outside of training?_ " Naruto mentally questioned as the fox, who was taking one of his usual naps, woke up as an eager red eye looked out with his host's eyes.

Kurama had seen the simple and in his opinion, elegant way the target was destroyed when Naruto was training in it. It was a power the giant fox didn't think he would ever grow tired of seeing.

" ** _Go ahead kit; you know that power of yours never ceases to amaze me. And to think that's only the time aspect._** " Naruto could imagine the giant toothy grin that his furball no doubt had. Shaking his head, Naruto switched his eyes to the Rinne-Sharingan, startling Ajihad but only eliciting looks of curiosity as Eragon, Saphira, and Arya looked on, wondering what new power their blonde was going to show.

Pumping chakra into his right eye, the mystical eye glowed as thin purple threads of chakra seemed to leak out as Naruto focused only on the door and nothing else. Finally, Naruto whispered out, "Jikan: Bunkai!"

The battle seemed to come to a halt as men, dwarves, Urgals, and elves alike watched in astonishment as the gate suddenly seemed to age, the vibrant brown of the oak swiftly turning to deathly black before the wood…simply withered away to ashes and as a few more seconds passed, those ashes soon faded to nothingness.

Silence reigned over the battlefield as everyone looked at the new open space where the proud gates once stood. However, it didn't last long as screams rent the air. The magicians who were supplying the chakra for the wards on the gate screamed out in pain and shock as the chakra needed to maintain the wards burned its way out of them to no avail.

The men of Feinster looked in horror as their group of spellcasters also faded into nothing, just like the gate that kept the Varden out. With a roar, the invading – or liberating to them – army rushed to the gates, pouring through as they engaged the still stunned defending troops, cutting a swath through the forces before the defenders recollected their senses.

Off in the distance, Naruto closed his eyes as he switched back to his original cerulean blue before opening them, only to witness blood and gore flying as the soldiers butchered each other through what he thought was barbaric fighting: nothing like the clean and efficient methods of the shinobi.

"Thank you Naruto. You saved the Varden hundreds if not thousands of unneeded casualties with as you said, one move. The city should fall within the next few hours as their main defense and many of their spellcasters have already fallen."

Naruto glanced back at Ajihad who had just finished giving his thanks and was about to leave before reaching out to grab the black leader's shoulder.

"Ajihad, if you are truly thankful, then do something for me." Seeing Ajihad raise an eyebrow before nodding, Naruto pressed on. "Before killing them, try your best to get them to surrender. You do not want to start your campaign only to be known as a butcher of innocent men only defending their homes. Sometimes, mercy can be a more powerful weapon than any blade when wielded in the right way."

Having said his piece, Naruto took his hand away as the leader of the Varden digested his words before finding that he too agreed with the blonde. There was no need for further bloodshed and like he said, no one wanted to be known as a butcher.

It would be bad for recruitment.

As Ajihad walked away, Eragon and Saphira nodded towards their friend before flying towards the city, now free of thousands of arrows and rocks, intent on ending the still continuing fight with the least amount of violence as possible.

Only Arya remained behind as she stood by her love, looking out over the city and the smoke that started to rise as a result of secondary defenses. Turning to the man beside her, Arya asked in a lilting voice.

"Love, will you be joining the battle?" She already knew of his opinions, but just in case he changed his mind, Arya asked again.

"I'm sorry Arya, but this is one fight I will not join. From what I sensed, the emotions of the defenders are genuine; they are not soldiers of Galbatorix's army, just men defending their home. However, be careful when you get to the top. I feel a large amount of negative emotions gathering…just like when Durza was killed."

The elf's eyes widened in horror when she heard what Naruto said. If what he said was true, then a new Shade was being born even as they spoke; there was no time to waste.

That thought left her mind the moment she felt the hand she held suddenly stiffen. Before she could ask, Naruto gained a grim expression before he suddenly released his hold on her hand and jumped onto Asura's back.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

Turning away from Arya, Naruto patted his partner's spiked head who by now was tense in alarm. "Prepare for your first battle Asura." Widening his glowing eyes at the simple statement, Asura braced his legs for takeoff as Naruto made eye contact with his companion.

"Oromis and Glaedr have just thrown my Hiraishin kunai. Be careful Arya-hime, but at the same time remember that even if it is a Shade, know that you are ready for this fight."

Arya nodded as she tightly gripped the hilt of her sword, knowing that despite her improvements, somebody that was able to force Oromis to ask for help was beyond her and that she would only get in the way. "I won't ask you to promise to stay safe as I know you won't be able to keep it. Just come back in one piece without a sword sticking through you, alright?"

Naruto just rolled his eyes at the mention of what he did before to save Eragon as he leaned down to softly kiss her forehead. Then with a wave, Naruto let out a cocky smile, "See you around, princess," as Asura pushed off the ground and into the sky with a large _boom_ before the two disappeared with a yellow flash.

Staring at the spot where they vanished, Arya shook her head as she pushed her concerns to the back of her mind, knowing that her blonde would be fine. " _For now, let's get to the top of the tower as fast I can. Despite his training, Eragon is still not ready to deal with a newly born Shade, especially after fighting through thousands of men._ "

And so, with a small amount of chakra reinforcing her legs, Arya cracked the ground as she took off in a dead sprint, whizzing past the Varden troops and into the city.

Notes:

Jikan: Bunkai – Time: Disintegration


	53. The Elder Generation

Chapter 53

 _Thirty Minutes ago._

 _The assault against Gil'ead was going well…as expected. Over a century had passed since the last time more than five or more elves left the leafy reach of the Du Weldenvarden, causing most men to forget the might of the elder race. Ceunon was an example; the city, while not the nearly the most militarized, still held a decent sized army that were stationed just in case a stray elf or two showed._

 _It fell in less than two hours._

 _All 8,000 men of the Empire's army fell while a mere ten of the elves were killed. This was the difference between elves and humans, one that even a century could not bridge._

 _Gil'ead was different; the city was a heavily armed one with over 50,000 men and ten catapults. Its walls were of sturdy stone and its gate made of tempered iron that were all protected by tens of spellcasters. The Varden itself would have trouble capturing the city without extreme casualties: tens of thousands would die before the city was taken._

 _But not the elves._

 _With only 10,000 elves, the fortress city was nearly overrun after only a day. Oromis and Glaedr were currently hovering high above the city, looking over the city that was currently aflame as Queen Islanzadí ordered her troops to raze the city that once imprisoned and tortured her only child and daughter._

 _"_ _Once again, Alagaesia is bathed in the blood of her children. Just why can't there be peace?" Oromis sorrowfully asked as more screams of agony and cries for mercy rang out._

 _"_ _This war will only end when the traitor, the Egg-Breaker, the mad king Galbatorix is dead and his body at our feet. As for peace, you already know why Oromis. No race, not even the elves, is immune to their baser desires. No matter how happy the people are, there will always be at least one person unsatisfied with his or her station in life. And just that one voice is able to cause an uprising against the ruler." Glaedr responded as Oromis merely sat on the saddle, lost in thought before they heard something._

 _Something they hadn't heard since the fall of the Dragon Riders._

 _The thump as a huge volume of air was displaced. And the only species capable of such a feat…_

 _"_ _Shruikan," hissed out Oromis and Glaedr at the same time. "Galbatorix is already here. But why? Did he somehow know of our survival?" Dozens of questions ran through their connected minds, but they were all dismissed when they finally saw the traitor suddenly appear out of nowhere within the city._

 _Their eyes widened in horror when they saw the sheer size of the dragon – no doubt through dark magic and drugs. They then watched in horror as a few of their fellow elves diverted their attention from the last one thousand or so humans to the sworn enemy of their race._

 _"_ _Glaedr, we need to get down there, now!" Following the mental command, the golden dragon quickly dive-bombed from the sky in hopes of reaching the traitorous duo before they killed any of their kin._

 _Unfortunately, they were too late in that regard._

 _The moment those several elves laid eyes on the smirking king, it was as if the years of decorum and self-control that were drilled into them since they were born abandoned them. With reddened eyes, those elves roared out their fury as they leapt at the traitors while chanting spells like a panther with its prey…only this prey was the most powerful man of Alagaesia as well as the largest dragon alive._

 _"_ _Humph, suicidal fools. I see that even the vaunted elves are little more than animals when they see their bitterest enemy. How amusing._ " _Galbatorix didn't move an inch as the elves grew closer to him with their shining swords held high and the words of the ancient language on their lips._

 _"_ _You and your reign of terror are finished Galbatorix! Your arrogance shall be the end of you!" yelled out one of the elves as a green bolt of pure magic formed in his hands, capable of instantly killing any human spellcaster with a single hit._

 _"_ _Odd, why isn't Shruikan attacking? According to what I see, those foolish hatchlings have been in range of that accursed dragon ever since they decided to attack." Glaedr transmitted his misgivings to his lifelong companion who in turn frowned as they continued to speed towards Galbatorix._

 _Their questions were answered when the mad king shouted out a word of unspeakable power. Even to the elder Dragon Rider pair, who were still over a kilometer away and fast approaching, they could feel that word resound within them in all of the best and worst ways possible._

 _"_ _What was that?" questioned the two when they watched in alarm as the magic missiles faded away into nothing. Something was wrong and so Oromis urged Glaedr to fly faster towards their target: only a few hundred more feet and they could finally distract them and save their brethren._

 _In the next instant, their faces fell when they saw Shruikan finally make his move. A massive tail, black as night with hardly a shimmer and near 400 feet in length, slammed into them, instantly turning the vengeful elves into meat paste._

 _The golden dragon broke their dive as he hovered only a couple hundred feet, completely within range of the comparatively enormous dragon, who glared with a stare full of rage and insanity at his gleaming golden counterpart._

 _"_ _Ah, so you two survived,Oromis and Glaedr," said Galbatorix, his voice rich and smooth, like those of a benevolent king and not as if he just murdered several elves in front of them. Instead, he raised his arms as if waiting for a hug from an old friend as he continued, "Long have I thought that the elves might be hiding a dragon or a Rider from my sight. It is gratifying to have my suspicions confirmed."_

 _"_ _Quiet, oath-breaker!" cried out Oromis as Glaedr growled out from underneath him. "You have no right to speak as such after what you have done!"_

 _Galbatorix chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes as he swept his eyes over the two, noting how the two didn't seem to be as crippled as he was told. "Come now Oromis-elda, where did the fabled courtesies of the elves go over this past century?"_

 _"_ _You deserve no more courtesy than a rabid wolf."_

 _"_ _Tut-tut, Oromis. Remember what you said to me when I stood before you and the other Elders: 'Anger is a poison. You must purge it from your mind or else it will corrupt your better nature.' You should heed your own advice."_

 _"_ _You cannot confuse me with your snake's tongue, Galbatorix. You are an abomination, and we shall see to it that you are eliminated, even if it costs us our lives."_

 _"_ _But why should it, Oromis? Why should you pit yourself against me? It saddens me that you have allowed your hate to distort your wisdom, for you were wise once, Oromis, perhaps the wisest member of our entire order. You were the first to recognize the madness eating away at my soul, and it was you who convinced the other Elders to deny my request for another dragon egg. That was very wise of you, Oromis. Futile, but wise. And somehow you managed to escape from Kialandí and Formora, even after they had broken you, and then you hid until all but one of your enemies had died. That too was wise of you, elf."_

 _A brief pause marked Galbatorix's speech. "There is no need to continue fighting me. I freely admit that I committed terrible crimes in my youth, but those days are long past, and when I reflect upon the blood I have shed, it torments my conscience. Still, what would you have of me? I cannot undo my deeds and here I was simply defending myself. Now, my greatest concern is ensuring the peace and prosperity of the empire over which I find myself lord and master. Cannot you see that I have lost my thirst for vengeance? The rage that drove me for so many years has burned itself to ashes. Ask yourself this, Oromis: who is responsible for the war that has swept across Alagaësia? Not I. The Varden were the ones who provoked this conflict. I would have been content to rule my people and leave the elves and the dwarves and the Surdans to their own devices. But the Varden could not leave well enough alone. It was they who chose to steal Saphira's egg, and they who cover the earth with mountains of corpses. Not I. You were wise once before, Oromis, and you can become wise once again. Give up your hatred and join me in Ilirea. With you by my side, we can bring an end to this conflict and usher in an era of peace that will endure for a thousand years or more."_

 _Glaedr was less than pleased with the speech as he gathered his flames from within his gullet before spewing a golden firestorm at the traitorous duo. Despite the impressive size of the flames, they appeared small when compared to the pure bulk of Shruikan. After several minutes, the golden dragon slammed his jaws shut, ending the stream of fire._

 _The elves who now surrounded the two Dragon Riders narrowed their eyes when they saw Galbatorix and Shruikan appear out of the smoke and lingering flames completely unscathed. Oromis and Glaedr merely sighed as they knew that the flames had little if any chance of actually harming the king and instead prepared for the inevitable battle._

 _"_ _Shall I take those flames as you answer, Oromis-elda?" asked Galbatorix with his rich and seductive tone, although this time there was a slight break past his whole benevolent king façade._

 _"_ _No. Your honeyed lies cannot make us forget the atrocities that you have committed over the past century. You will find no ally within us, traitor. Now come and fight, or allow us to kill you to release your tortured soul. For Algaesia shall be free from your insanity today." Oromis called out with ringing tones as he drew his sword Naegling, gleaming with a similar golden-bronze hue as Glaedr's hide._

 _"_ _You senile old fool!" snarled out Galbatorix, his voice doing a complete 180 from his previously friendly tone. "If you had but accepted my offer, you could have been the first and foremost of my slaves. I shall make you regret your mindless devotion to your so-called justice. And you are wrong Oromis, for I have become as powerful as a god and there are none that can stop me. Now die, like your brothers!"_

 _With a roar that shook the very foundations of the burning city, Shruikan pounced into the air as he left gouges as deep as rivers in the earth. Anticipating the move, Glaedr instantly flew upwards, away from the elven army and a more open area where he could better use his agility._

 _"_ _Oromis Shur'tugal, come back to us. My elven spellcasters can provide invaluable aid against the Dark One. Even with your recovered strength, you cannot possibly defeat him alone!" an imperious voice rang out through Oromis's mind as one of the few beings he allowed past his barriers during the battle commanded him._

 _"_ _Queen Islanzadí, Galbatorix is beyond any of you and should he be forced to fight against all of us, he will use the thousands of Eldunari he bent to his will against all of you." The queen gasped at the newfound information, and while angered at the deception, quickly realized that even with her numbers, it would be far from enough to even breach the mad king's defenses._

 _As Oromis and Glaedr flew higher, Queen Islanzadí sent out one last mental message. "If what you said is true, just how are you going to fight against that monster? I prefer for you to retreat while I lead our people back to the forests and wait until we have a method of dealing with the Eldunari."_

 _To Queen Islanzadí's surprise, Oromis chuckled as he mysteriously said a few words, "To fight a monster…_

 _…_ _sometimes you need another one."_

Back to the Present

That was 30 minutes ago. In the next half hour, Oromis would later swear he never had a harder time just trying to survive in one piece as Galbatorix shot out spells that would have instantly killed either of them while Shruikan almost managed to swat them out of the air several times.

It was only after Galbatorix taunted the two of them for running, both from their responsibilities all those years ago and now when they were flying towards the clouds, when even Oromis, for all of his infinite patience, finally snapped as he and Glaedr stopped ascending in favor of diving towards the dark duo.

"Finally, you decided to stop running Oromis! I was afraid that I would have to go back and kill off a few of your elven friends. Maybe later, after the both of you are broken at my feet and Glaedr's heart of hearts in my hands, I'll go find your queen and throw her to my guards. Let's see how long she can hold on until her highness finally breaks! Hahahaha!" Finally, Galbatorix let out his true nature, full of madness and insanity, as he drew his sword Vrangr, its blade as pale as a sun-bleached bone.

"To think you have sunk to such depths…just where did we go wrong in your training?" Oromis sorrowfully asked as Glaedr, despite his bulk, weaved in between the pitch black firestorms that the pup Shruikan sent out at them.

Although the flames had no chance of harming them due to the multitude of wards attached to the topaz jewel on Naegling's hilt, they still sapped the horded energy that at its peak, was able to move a mountain. Against a normal opponent, they would have ignored the flames and gone in for close combat, but against Galbatorix, who they reluctantly admitted had greater knowledge of the words of the ancient language if not its depth and at the same time possessed a far greater amount of energy they could not hope to compete with…that approach was suicide.

And so, Oromis and Glaedr tightly hugged against the body of Shruikan who, now that he wasn't just curled up on the ground, was about eight times the size and length of the elder dragon. Coming from behind at the larger dragon's hindquarters, Glaedr thrust out with his front claws as he raked down its back leg while Oromis hacked down at the limb with his sword.

Sparks flew as several scales the size of shields cracked underneath their assault. However, they had to beat a hasty retreat when a tail almost three times the size of Glaedr swept out at them as a horse would with its tail at an annoying fly.

Withdrawing a fair distance, Glaedr and Oromis looked back at the area they attacked…only to heavily frown when they saw the pitiful amount of damage they did with what could be considered an all-out physical attack.

Slashes of about a foot deep marred the polished surface of the scales. On a dragon of the same size as them or smaller, those wounds would have been deep enough to rip muscle or even tear apart an artery and either crippling the dragon or forcing its Rider to divert energy to healing the wound. However, to a dragon of Shruikan's size, they mere scratches that did little but make him itch. Not even a single drop of blood leaked out despite the 12 inch deep wounds.

" _Glaedr, this approach is not working. Any physical attack we unleash is far from enough and will only leave a mere scratch on Shruikan's hide. Even though Galbatorix may be a traitor, he is no fool; if there are no wards to protect Shruikan from physical damage, then he must have full confidence that nothing short of magic could bring his dragon down. However, we could use his arrogance against him and instead go for the weaker areas, like the wings."_

" _Oromis, why have you not used magic on the two? Surely with your experience you could find a way around his wards, maybe enough to fatally injure either of them._ "

Oromis merely sighed as he told his partner a certain fear that had been growing ever since they witnessed Galbatorix easily slaughter several elves. " _Glaedr, if what I think is true, then all forms of magic will be useless against him. Remember when the several of our brethren attacked Galbatorix?_ "

A moment of mental silence passed as Glaedr desperately avoided Shruikan's giant fangs and claws as the dark dragon grew tired of simply waiting for his golden opponent to make a move. Teeth as sharp as freshly honed swords and as long as spears ferociously snapped inches away from the elder dragon's tail as Shruikan's ghostly blue eyes gazed with unbridled rage.

Claws nearly of equal size as his teeth tore away at Glaedr's ribs with a force that could have down city walls, only partially deflected by the dragon's thick scaly hide. However, blood rained down onto the ground as white ribs made contact with air.

Alarmed, Glaedr strove to create more distance as he coughed out a large amount of blood, indicating the bruised organs that were no doubt caused by the direct hit. Immediately, he felt a warmth spread throughout the injured area, soothing the pain and restoring full functionality to his movements.

" _Oromis, where did the wards go? How come that pup's claws were able to injure me; they should have been turned away by the wards on Naegling!_ " Glaedr harshly asked as Galbatorix merely continued to look amused at the obvious confusion that ran across both of their faces.

" _Remember what I asked before? I believe that the rumors of Galbatorix searching for the name of the ancient language…were true. And that he has succeeded, as shown by the magic vanishing from the elves before and our wards fading without our knowing…even when we were still so far out._ " Oromis grimly replied as Glaedr grew silent as he started to fully understand what his partner said.

" _In that case…we truly have no choice. We must summon Naruto-finiarel through his kunai. Loathe as we are to have an outsider of the Dragon Rider Order handle our problems, this is not an opponent we can stand against alone, even after he restored us to our prime. Do it before it is too late._ "

The eldest Dragon Rider closed his eyes for but a second as he made a swift decision. " _So it has truly come to this…_ "

Using the hand that was free of his blade, Oromis reached down to the kunai that was held in place by his belt. Grabbing it, the elf was about to throw the blade when suddenly, Galbatorix muttered a word as he gripped the air with his hand.

Immediately following the action, Oromis and Glaedr found themselves immobile, paralyzed as their bodies refused their orders despite the amount of force and chakra they sent through them. With a twist of his hand, the two captured beings were slowly brought before the caster of the spell as Galbatorix looked contemptuously at his prizes.

"Amazing, isn't it, what a single word of the ancient language could when backed by the force of thousands of Eldunari. Even against a member of the Dragon Rider council, the wisest and strongest of our order, it matters not." The mad king gloated as he glanced at the strange blade Oromis still held within his frozen hand.

Prying it loose, Galbatorix looked over the fine craftsmanship of the blade, taking in its strange shape and the surprising weight it held despite its relatively small size. But what drew his attention were the markings on its hilt. Despite not knowing what they were, he could feel the power and potential that emanated from the strange script…and it frightened him.

" _What are these strange characters that could cause me…to fear? No, that is impossible! I am as strong as a god and there is nothing in all the land that can stop me! Not even death will take me!_ " Waving the kunai in front of the elf's face, Galbatorix sneered. "And just what is this? A secret weapon? I admit that the script on the hilt is strange, but it is nothing compared to me. But now, I must ask, just how were the two of you healed? There should have been no chance of either of you recovering, especially you Oromis."

Seeing the elf remain silent and not even try to give an answer, Galbatorix leaned forward before stabbing Oromis through his right lung. "It matters not, before you die, I will simply extract all of your memories and should that fail, I will just move onto Glaedr's Eldunari. Until then, let's see just how much you can truly withstand."

With a sadistic gleam, the traitor uttered a spell that prevented the elder Dragon Rider from immediately dying as he continuously stabbed with Vrangr, the sword of Vrael, leader of the Dragon Rider Order, into the helpless elf's body, avoiding any further fatal spots while drawing as much blood and pain as possible. His pleasure only grew when he saw how Glaedr's usually golden eyes gained a red glow as he growled

Only when his face was nearly painted red with Oromis's lifeblood did he stop. Twirling the kunai in his hand, Galbatorix drew it close to the elf's face as he once again taunted him. "I see that over a century of pain has hardened you to its embrace. Good, breaking you will make it all the more enjoyable when I finally take all of your secrets. But for now, watch as your final hope fades…"

With a toss, Galbatorix tossed the tri-pronged blade over his shoulder as he looked deeply into the eyes, anticipating the despair that he had seen in so many others after seeing their final hope go down the drain.

Instead, he saw only hope and…amusement? as a smile fought its way onto Oromis's face. With a snarl, Galbatorix plunged his mind into the elf's in front of him, seeking to find out exactly what amused him so. Oromis only allowed one thought to ring through his mind even as he fiercely defended his core, its obscene words shocking the king as he never thought the esteemed elf capable of such language.

It was simple.

" _You done fucked up._ "

And then a third roar filled the night sky.

Notes:

Shur'tugal – dragon rider

Vrangr – Awry


	54. Battle in the Sky

Chapter 54

" _I wonder what was able to force Oromis to throw my Hiraishin? Although he doesn't often show it…just like the rest of the elves he's developed a superiority complex, even if it's a subtle one._ " Naruto thought as he transported both him and Asura to the elder Dragon Rider in a yellow flash.

The first thing they saw was white. Blinking, the two took a second to orient themselves when they realized that the white they saw were clouds. Waving his head side to side Naruto looked for the man that summoned him, only to see more clouds thick enough that even Glaedr, despite being big and rather ostentatious, would be hidden from his view.

" _Just where are you?_ " a slight grunt behind him was all Naruto needed to pinpoint as he wheeled Asura around with his thoughts.

For a second, all the two saw were more fluffy clouds. That was until Naruto noticed the hulking shadow of some massive creature that was projected against the clouds by the moon. Controlling the wind, the blonde released a gentle current that blew away the clouds, only to slightly widen his eyes

" _Damn…that's a big dragon._ " Although the two have already seen Kurama, who was literally miles larger, it was still an impressive sight. A tail larger than Gamabunta, claws as long as a tree was tall, and a wingspan that covered almost a kilometer.

However, his admiration for the dragon came to a complete stop when he saw a sight that first sent hot rage then a cold calm flowing through his veins.

It was Oromis, bleeding from over a dozen stab wounds, all targeting areas to deliver maximum pain. However, after looking over them again, he quietly sighed when he realized none of them were fatal individually. It was a miracle that the elder elf was still alive – no doubt the effect of a spell – but he saw how heavily Oromis was bleeding. 10 minutes, any longer and the mentor of Eragon would no longer be with them – and he couldn't afford that.

Another stab, and he might just die right there.

There was only one way to distract who he now identified as Galbatorix.

" _Asura, give them a roar._ "

Puffing out his chest that glowed crimson as he gathered as much air in his lungs, Asura released it all at once.

And roared.

As the unfamiliar roar filled the air, Galbatorix halted his torture of Oromis and instead simply held him in midair as he glanced around with wide eyes, looking for the source of the sound.

" _That was a dragon! Only a dragon could make such a sound. Could it be Saphira?"_

Turning around, his eyes widened when he saw a small dragon, only about 50 feet or so in length, with metal armor as black as Shruikan…but no scales? How curious.

" _Male, young, so it's not that brat Eragon and Saphira. I can still feel the wards in place around the egg back in Urû'baen, so it cannot be that dragon. The only conclusion is that this human somehow found a stray egg…and where there is one there may be more. Only it's a pity that the dragon isn't a female; if he was, I could have had him on a breeding program to make more Dragon Rider slaves_ ," thought Galbatorix as he narrowed his eyes as he gazed past the intimidating angular head with its literally blazing fiery eyes to its Rider. Then he froze as he almost dropped the elf he had restrained.

"Naruto…" lowly growled out the black-clad king, clearly recognizing the blonde human that completely thrashed his Dragon Rider slave. Before Galbatorix could say anything, a hard and unyielding voice pierced through the air.

"Galbatorix, I presume." Without waiting for a response, Naruto continued. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, as you doubtlessly already know when you peeped through Fäolin's eyes. And now that we are acquainted, how about you let Oromis and Glaedr go?" asked the blonde.

" _Asura, this is going to get ugly. This guy has far more chakra than I previously thought; the thousands of Eldunari I can see behind him seemed to have bolstered his chakra pool to Bijuu levels, possibly to around one to two tails._ " Asura's glowing eyes widened at the remark, clearly remembering the mighty tailed beasts from Naruto's memories. " _I see you remember them. Then you know that I might have to loosen some of my restraints and you must not be here when I do, or you'll get caught up in the collateral damage._ "

Before Asura could respond Galbatorix, who had had recovered from the initial shock of suddenly present Dragon Rider, quickly schooled his expression as he called out in the tone he used when he tried to convince Oromis and Glaedr.

"Naruto! It's good to see a fellow human Rider…" whatever Galbatorix was about to say was interrupted when Naruto suddenly jumped off of Asura's back. Instead of crashing to the ground, like the traitor expected, the blonde instead hovered as he used the gifts the spectral dragon granted him. Internally surprised, Galbatorix concealed his shocked expression as he continued to warmly smile, as if he wasn't holding a friend of Naruto's in midair as he bled to death.

Taking the opportunity of his soon to be opponent's distraction, Naruto sent out one last mental command. " _Asura, when I grab Oromis and free Glaedr, accompany them down to the elves. They'll know what to do. However, be careful of reinforcements from the Empire; I refuse to believe it's only Galbatorix and the regular army over here – he doesn't seem like the type to go anywhere without a private division or a nasty surprise._ "

Holding up the hand that showed his fiery gedwëy ignasia, Naruto switched to the Rinne-Sharingan as he began to utter the jutsu that would yank the elf and dragon into his grasp when he saw Galbatorix merely wave a finger as he then tried his best to convince the new Dragon Rider, despite the history they already had.

"I would think twice before you use any spell against me young one. You have no clue of the amount of power I wield and if you but join me, I can show you the true wonders of the ancient language, show you ways and words that the elves themselves have forgotten."

"Is that so?" Naruto slightly smirked as he released some of his chakra restraints while his hand glowed like a falling star. "Well, I have to say…I always loved a challenge. Banshō Ten'in!"

Never before, in all of his testing and actual uses of the jutsu, has Naruto ever felt even a hint of resistance when he used the Deva Path of the Rinnegan. But now, against Galbatorix's spell that was backed by the same amount of chakra as Matatabi, the two-tailed beast, he felt for a second as if he was playing chakra tug-of-war with Kurama again.

However, the power of the Rinnegan was not to be denied and even in his still heavily sealed state, he could already see the spell starting to unravel and tear apart as the potency of his chakra quickly overcame the bonds holding Oromis and Glaedr paralyzed in midair. With a grin, Naruto continued as he saw the trapped duo slowly move away from the enemy.

On Galbatorix's end, he was panicking. The second their two spells, or what he thought was a spell, collided he experienced the same thing Fäolin did; his personal chakra reserves behind the First Gate were almost completely consumed just to maintain the spell. With a slight cry, the mad king drew on the reserves provided from his horde of Eldunari as he tried to hold onto his failing spell.

Not since he tamed his first few Eldunari has he had any trouble overcoming a spell. And then when he finally broke the last of the thousands of Eldunari he horded, he knew that he had the ability to crush the entire elven race with a single word, even if they all united together to resist.

But this insignificant Dragon Rider, this mere human was able to do what no race or organization was able to do – challenge and, he feared to admit to himself, overpower the spell he held over Oromis and Glaedr. This caused the once implacable and confident king to slowly realize…

…he might not be the strongest in Alagaesia. At first, it was as if a stake was driven through his heart, so full of fear and terror of the unknown blonde that he unknowingly felt ever since he watched his puppet Dragon Rider get decimated. But such feelings were quickly washed away as he instead started to burn with rage and fury at the man who made him feel such emotions.

"Impossible…this is impossible! Just how are you doing this?" Galbatorix narrowed his black eyes before he let out a smirk that would have caused lesser men to wet themselves in fear. "Whatever, once I have you in my grasp, I will take your secrets and grow even stronger! Feel honored that I even allow you to witness the fruit of my research." Deciding to end this farce, Galbatorix whipped Vrangr up as he prepared to execute Oromis who was now three feet away, just barely within striking range, in the most brutal fashion as possible. That one motion took all the concentration as he had to divert most of his power to keeping the damned elf and dragon in place…even if he was losing that battle.

Then he said it. With a few words in the beginning to cloak the word he had poured all of his energy and effort for the past 40 years into finding from the unworthy, the greatest traitor of Alagaesia reverently spoke out the true name of the ancient language, the Name of Names as he then slashed downward with the pale blade to bisect the elf that denied him his second dragon all those years ago.

He closed his eyes, waiting to feel the warm elven blood of his foe to spray against his face, to be bathed in the life essence of the elder he once so respected but who then betrayed him. But instead, he felt nothing as his stolen blade passed without resistance through the air where Oromis once occupied.

Snapping his eyes open, he watched, confused, as the Rider he tried to kill already in the arms of the blonde who then placed and secured the heavily wounded elf to the golden dragon. Faintly, he heard the youngest Dragon Rider command Glaedr to bring Oromis to the elves below, who although growled and glared back at him swiftly flew back to the ground, breaking through the clouds and disappearing from sight.

" _Good, with the elves taking care of Oromis, he should be able to hold on until I get to him,_ " thought Naruto as turned back to the elf's torturer.

"How…how did you do that? No magic can be used when in the presence of the true name of the ancient language." " _Not even I am an exception to that rule, although I'm sure with just another month or two of experimentation I can find a way around that annoyance._ " Galbatorix questioned and thought as he suddenly felt a sense of…mortality that he hadn't felt since the fall of the Dragon Rider Order.

Taking out the tri-pronged kunai that previously alerted him, Naruto shifted into a relaxed stance, showing no signs of his next attack would be; it was a pose that he had polished in the during his time as Hokage and often used in the beginning of fights to make full use of his unpredictability. With a slight start, the God of Shinobi began to slowly walk in midair towards the dark king and his near 800 feet long mount, his eyes fixed and taking in every minute twitch of both of them.

Galbatorix looked back at the slowly approaching blonde with guarded eyes as the fighting instincts he hadn't used in the past 50 years rushed to life, examining every single movement for the slightest hint of a sneak attack. But to his chagrin, he found nothing. The man in front of him gave not the slightest hint of when, where, or how he was going to attack. In fact, if they weren't above the clouds, he would swear the blonde was simply taking a walk, so innocent and natural was his bearing.

It unnerved him.

Every fighter, swordsman, and spellcaster, no matter how terrible or elite they were, no matter what species, always showed at least a slight twitch or irregular movement when they were preparing to attack. The only profession that could instill such subtlety was…

"You are an assassin, are you not? How ironic, for a dragon – a species that prides itself on honor and valor – to choose an assassin of all beings as its Rider." Galbatorix laughed, hiding his nervousness behind bravado as he mentally commanded Shruikan to attack the moment Naruto was in range.

50 feet…20 feet…10 feet…5 feet…4…3…2…1…

"If I cannot hurt you with magic, then I will kill you through physical means. Shruikan!" shouted out the king as Shruikan roared, sweeping from the side a tail as large as the Menoa Tree herself…except armored in scales that could take a ballista shot and come out without a scratch.

Winds that could rival a small hurricane blew across the sky as the clouds scattered, leaving the stars and moon fully visible to the elves and humans below. Leaving nothing to chance, Galbatorix ordered Shruikan to keep up the assault for another three minutes, except this time adding his claws and flames to the mix. He refused to believe that this Naruto was fast enough _in the air_ to dodge out of the way of the sheer area Shruikan's body took up.

Nobody could be that fast.

Soon the pale-eyed dragon stopped his offensive, slightly panting although it still sounded like the bellows of a forge in full swing. Scanning the area all around him, Galbatorix saw only scattered clouds and the celestial bodies that lit up the night sky…but nothing remotely eye-catching like the blonde hair and strange clothes his foe wore.

However, instead of being relieved, he felt only suspicion. Such a powerful being who was not only able to fly –which he knew consumed a vast amount of energy – but was also able to, he grudgingly admitted, marginally overpower a spell he continuously poured energy into.

Closing his eyes, he fortified his mind with the thousands of others as he released a mental pulse powerful enough to physically fry the brains of any living being within a radius of a kilometer except for Shruikan and him. He knew that there were several words in the ancient language that rendered the user invisible and and undetectable to all the senses, including the mind.

Doing so however left the user completely vulnerable to mental attacks where even the weakest push in the right direction would grant access to his entire self.

But he felt nothing. No rush of knowledge, resistance, or even memories. Just nothing.

"So that's your limit…Naruto. Merely a human with too much energy, but with no knowledge of how to use it. What a waste; if it were me, I would be able to unite not just Alagaesia, but even the lands beyond the sea. Come Shruikan, we might as well destroy the elves as a species while we're here." Galbatorix mocked as he gave the order of genocide without a hint of hesitation, no mercy, and not a hint of regret.

But the moment Shruikan turned downwards, a cold voice spoke out behind him.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

'Eh?' Spinning around, the traitor looked towards the source of the voice and saw an unharmed Naruto standing a couple hundred feet away, with his strange knife still by his side.

Taking advantage of the king's distraction, Naruto sprinted towards the other Dragon Rider as he channeled chakra to his feet in order to stick to slippery slope known as Shruikan's scaly back. Snapping out of his confused state, the king raised his blade in response to the incoming attack as he reactivated the wards that were deactivated by the true name of the ancient language from before.

Once in range, Naruto stabbed out with the kunai, aiming for the vocal chords so as to stop any spells from being uttered. However, he narrowed his eyes when Galbatorix, who should by all rights be extremely wary after seeing him overcome everything with relative ease, looked completely unconcerned with the kunai coming at him at a speed greater than any elf.

" _Is he really that confident that his defenses are strong enough to withstand anything I do despite getting shot down over and over again?_ " However, when his kunai was still a foot away, it felt as if he stabbed into the gates of Konoha, so tough was the invisible barrier that surrounded the man in front of him.

Seeing the tri-pronged blade stop in its tracks barely a foot away, Galbatorix smirked as he shifted his black eyes to the strangely designed ones that stared back with a calmness that irritated him.

"Even with all of your power, you cannot possibly harm me. I have spent the last century erecting barriers against all possible forms of harm: physical, mental, magical, even the very elements that shaped Alagaesia herself! In a fight of attrition, there are none that can match me!" bragged Galbatorix with a flourish of his arms as he all but declared his victory.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto burst forward in a flurry of stabs, slashes, and hacks, all targeting organs and arteries that would leave the victim either dead or quickly dying. Blurring away from sight, Naruto allowed his available chakra to flow freely as he used his considerable speed to circle around Galbatorix, expanding the area of his attacks while testing every possible angle and position and keeping his next target unpredictable.

However, even after attacking enough times that would have left an unprotected man as mere minced meat, the ward blocking any blade refused to fall even after enduring hundreds of rounds.

" _So it would seem that the wards around him do stop all attacks from blades, no matter the direction and is completely independent of his physical reflexes. But I wonder if it would still stand if I used fists at full physical strength with my resistance seals._ " Naruto thought as he blurred back into sight in front of Galbatorix, resealing the kunai while donning on specially made gloves reinforced with toughness seals.

" _Fast!_ " is what Galbatorix thought when he tried to keep his eyes on the near invisible blonde. But when he saw the blonde stop in front of him and switch his weapon for gloves, Galbatorix tensed as he brought up Vrangr in front of him.

"So now that you found out you cannot hurt me, what will you do? Attack me with your bare fists? Please, if even your odd blade could not touch me, you must be insane to think you could harm even one strand of my hair with your hands," scorned Galbatorix, believing he had the upper hand after seeing him not chant or use any spells, but instead resort to more physical means of harm.

Before Naruto could begin to form a response, a voice rumbled within his mindscape. " ** _So this is Galbatorix? More like a turtle than a man by the way he's relying on these wards. How boring. Hurry up and make it interesting or else I'm coming out!_** "

Naruto just rolled his eyes at Kurama, who apparently just woke up, was already demanding for 'entertainment' which usually translated to him beating somebody to a pulp. " _Alright, calm your tails furball. This time I'm going with only my fists; that should make such an arrogant person attack back if only because of his sheer pride._ "

" ** _Just be quick about it._** **"**

With that, Naruto leapt back into the fight as he held back the full strength of his restricted self, trying to goad Galbatorix into attacking and letting his guard down. As he let out a punch to the kidney that could have shattered a boulder, it was stopped cold in its tracks one foot away once again. Not showing any signs of frustration or irritation of having his attack blocked _again_ , Naruto kept up the assault as he circled around to deliver another punch to the back of the spine with similar results.

Meanwhile, Galbatorix quickly grew suspicious when he felt the strength of the blows. Yes, they were powerful, but even the stronger elves were able to do the same with their natural physical gifts. " _But why? Why is he holding back unless…_ "

His nose flared as he glared at the spot a golden shadow appeared before quickly disappearing. " _…he's just playing with me. Me – the most powerful man in Alagaesia with power equal to that of a god – and he has the gall to pull his punches? Gah!_ "

With that, Galbatorix sent a mental command to Shruikan to cease their descent and instead to fly levelly. Unhooking his legs from the tight straps that kept him secured to the saddle, Galbatorix stood up, relying on the broad back of Shruikan to provide the necessary platform for the duel he was about to start.

Naruto, who was previously pounding at the frustrating barrier, stopped once again in front when he saw Galbatorix rise.

A gentle breeze brushed through the hair of the two combatants who couldn't be more different in both appearance and ideals as they stared at each under the moon: one armed with a pale blade that seemed to suck in all sources of light and the other with a pair of simple-looking black gloves.

Without a word, the two shot towards each other. There were no sparks, no harsh sounds, and certainly no epic speeches as the two met in a collision of blade and fist.

Wanting to teach the blonde a lesson in daring to hold back against him, Galbatorix channeled the energy from the Eldunari to greatly enhance his physical strength and slashed at the clenched hand that was currently heading towards his sternum, intent on severing the offending limb. Only for Naruto to swiftly pull back his hand and instead settle for a kick to his. He didn't even bother with dodging or blocking the approaching attack, completely trusting his physical wards.

After all, even if Naruto was twice as strong than he had shown, his wards were more than enough to negate that kind of power. And so instead, the king opted to continue his downward swing, aiming to cripple the arm that was still within range of his two and a half long blade of Vrangr.

That was a mistake.

With a grin, Naruto took advantage of the obvious opening as he used the same technique Tsunade was known for, except this time with his leg. One foot away, the blonde once again felt a resistance; he could see the sudden surge of energy from the Eldunari hidden in the pocket dimension behind Galbatorix going towards the ward protecting Galbatorix. However, this time, the wards that guarded against physical harm were overloaded when a force that could have levelled an entire castle wall smashed against and then right through it.

The next instant was one of the worst moments of Galbatorix's life. With what felt like a full force blow from a catapult, the strongest being in Alagaesia was blasted off of Shruikan's back as he then tumbled to a halt on one of the dragon's giant wings.

Coughing blood, Galbatorix shot an astonished look back at the attacker who merely stood there, silently waiting for him to take his position again. As he struggled his way back to his feet, the traitor was almost sent off into the clouds when Shruikan flapped his wings.

Commanding his dragon to merely hover, Galbatorix muttered a quick healing spell, softly sighing in relief as he felt his ribs knit themselves back together and his organs recover from their bruised state.

Naruto grinned when he saw the king glare daggers at him before deciding to further infuriate him. Placing his left leg behind his right, the blonde brought up his right hand to make the 'come hither' sign, only for his grin to grow larger when saw the bulging whites of Galbatorix's eyes as they devolved into madness and rage.

"Oh, did I make you angry? Please accept my apologies then, my lord," mocked Naruto as he slightly bent his waist, further enraging Galbatorix who had by then stood up, almost frothing at the mouth at how _humiliated_ he felt.

Then Galbatorix charged.

Gone was the kind, elegant, and majestic façade that the traitor had always shown to everyone. Instead, a bestial expression appeared as Galbatorix roared while releasing a powerful overhead slash at the blonde, only for it to be dodged as Naruto slipped to the side.

As he slipped away, Naruto arched his eyes when his Rinne-Sharingan noted the increased speed and power Galbatorix was showing as well as the increased flow of chakra from the Eldunari throughout his body.

" _So he's able to certain extent control the distribution and flow of chakra through his body which allows him to move far faster and hit harder than any elf. Not even Arya is as fast or powerful as him. However…_ " weaving amongst a web of swift but wild attacks Naruto continued to analyze his opponent. " _However, it would seem those years of fine dining and research have dulled his skills as a swordsman and a fighter; although, his movements are slowly getting better as the fight goes on. What a pity, I can tell he was once a most skilled swordsman. Well, let's see how he handles this!_ "

Shooting out several short but brutal punches that would have taken off Galbatorix's head, had his opponent not taken a hasty step back; clearly he remembered just how powerful the seemingly ordinary attacks were. Taking advantage of the gap between them, Naruto performed a short leap as he tightly spun in the air, adding even more momentum to the already devastating attack, while crying out "Konoha Senpū!"

Only the battle-hardened instincts that Galbatorix was recovering saved him from decapitation or a more brutal fate as he hastily ducked under the airborne kick. Glancing up, he smirked when he saw gravity start to work as the blonde fell from the height he jumped to.

"Fool, you just left yourself wide open. Die!" yelled Galbatorix as he thrust his pale blade into the heart of the still midair blonde, relying on the powerful anti-magic spells that coated the blade of Vrael and the first Eragon. The mad king expected many things to happen at that moment: blood coating his blade, the coughs and the rattling of the blonde's last breaths as he slipped from the world, those strange eyes that he would pluck out for his own use or collection as they gleamed with an unwillingness before their light faded forever.

None of this happened.

Instead, his blade seemed to simply _pass_ through Naruto as if he wasn't there. Not for the first time in those few minutes, Galbatorix froze for a split second as his mind raced through how the blonde did the impossible once again.

But that short pause was more than enough for Naruto to finish the Konoha Senpū as he made himself tangible once again when the Rider sword was no longer within him. Slamming his hand onto the scaled floor, Naruto lashed out with a low kick, sweeping Galbatorix off of his feet and onto his back. Following up with the attack, the God of Shinobi flipped through the air as he cocked a glowing violet fist back before slamming it down at the downed king's midsection.

By this time Galbatorix had recovered from his shock and kicked himself well away from the incoming downward punch, not daring to receive it or be in the range of the inevitable impact.

However, the two had forgotten one thing.

Had they been on the ground, the force and chakra that accompanied the blow would have merely cratered the earth and caused a massive localized earthquake. However, this wasn't the ground. No, this was the back of an 800 feet dragon that was currently gliding at height of about 20,000 feet amongst the clouds.

And so when the blow landed, the direct impact alone pulverized the black as night scales directly underneath his fist into dust. But with the burst of chakra, a ripple seemed to spread thousands of scales across the broad back of Shruikan cracked and then shattered, littering the night sky with bits and pieces of the most powerful dragon of Alagaesia.

However, while the external damage was indeed impressive, it was the internal and hidden damage that caused Shruikan to shake the very air with his roar before a cough interrupted it as gallons of dark blood gushed between his teeth.

Several crushed ribs.

A collapsed lung and extensive organ damage.

A couple of fractured vertebrae.

Widespread muscle tears and bruising.

And to round it all off, a dislocated wing joint.

All of these injuries combined caused the seemingly invincible beast to plummet towards the ground. Although Galbatorix cared next to nothing about the dragon that fought at his side during the Dragon Rider Order downfall, he did care about the fact that he was currently falling from the same height as clouds and even with his Eldunari at full power he wouldn't survive the crash.

And so, with two words of the ancient language and chakra that would have done Shukaku proud, he healed the crippling injuries that prevented the giant dragon from flying. All of this happened in a few seconds and at the end of it, Galbatorix was left panting from exertion.

Despite having chakra that could be compared to Matatabi, the two-tailed Bijuu, the combination of having his wards being overloaded, healing himself and Shruikan, and then coursing energy throughout his muscles for more power and speed, nerves and eyes for enhanced reaction times and observation…needless to say, the Eldunari behind him were running very low on chakra. The world seemed to spin as Galbatorix fell to his knees, heavily sweating as he felt a weakness he hadn't felt since he beheaded Vrael.

The moment he did so, Naruto shunshin'd in front of the downed king as he delivered a kick to the stomach that punted him towards one of the many spikes that lined Shruikan's back. With a whoosh of air, Galbatorix wheezed out a few breaths as his grip loosened on the blade in his hand, sending it clattering against the scales in favor of using the same hand to hug his abdomen.

Appearing in front of Eragon's master torturer, Naruto picked Galbatorix up by the neck and then proceeded to slam him against the spike. "Ya know, you should consider yourself lucky. Had I really wanted to kill you, I would have instead used ninjutsu the moment I saw this big fella." called out Naruto as he stomped on the scales beneath them.

"Then why, _cough_ , are you still here? You already freed that old fossil and his dragon, and could have returned with them. But instead, you stayed to what, _humiliate_ me?" spat out Galbatorix as he narrowed his eyes at the cool unconcerned blue orbs, the Rinne-Sharingan already deactivated, of the blonde, contemplating of whether he should attempt his final possible option that he was most known and feared for, a mental attack.

Before he could even try, Naruto slammed him again against the spike. "Don't even think about it. The moment you even try to touch my mind, then all bets are off because although I may have shown you mercy…" his irises turned a crimson red as his pupil narrowed into a slit, "my partner won't. He will tear you and the other Eldunaris' minds without a second thought and I would rather avoid that."

"Now, as for why I stayed after picking up Oromis and Glaedr, it's quite simple really. I wanted to know exactly what kind of person you are, what kind of person the Varden and elves brand as an absolute monster. And personally, the best way to figure a person out is just to fight it out with them." Naruto flipped Vrangr up with his feet before grabbing the spinning blade by its hilt, admiring the pure white blade and its simple elegance before sealing it in one of his many storage seals on his body.

Galbatorix saw only red at the disappearance of his blade. Other than the Eldunari and his first dragon Vrangr, or first known as Islingr, was his most prized and treasured possession. Yes, there was Shruikan, yes he had hundreds of other Rider blades, and yes he had an entire Empire in his grasp. But none of those were even close to what the sword meant for him. Vrangr was the sword of Vrael, leader and strongest of the Dragon Riders, and also the sword of the first Dragon Rider – Eragon. To him, it was a symbol that he was indeed the strongest in the land and that he had transcended the limits of Alagaesia.

But now he just watched the sword disappear to who knows where and he snapped. With a rumbling growl, Galbatorix poured his entire being as well as the rest of the energy from the Eldunari, which amounted to a little more than those found on Doru Araeba, into a vicious mental attack at the man who still held him by his throat.

As the king's eyes glazed over, Naruto merely sighed, deciding that he may as well rip away all of the knowledge Galbatorix had, as was part of his deal with Umaroth. He only wished that Kurama would leave the traitor sane enough to have the final fight with Eragon and Saphira…

Barely a moment later, a terrified scream rent the air as foam frothed from Galbatorix's mouth and his black eyes rolled to the back of his head.

" _Kurama…did you break him?_ " Naruto exasperatedly asked the giant fox in his seal.

" ** _No…ok, maybe a little._** **"** Naruto sweat dropped as he expressed his slight irritation through their bond. " ** _Hey, it's not my fault if my greeting roar disintegrated him and the other flying lizards. Blame the so called god for being so weak._** "

Naruto just shook his head as he placed his free hand on the forehead of the now unconscious Galbatorix, his Rinne-Sharingan whirring back to life as he uttered one thing.

"Ningendo."

Notes:

Konoha Senpū – Leaf Whirlwind

Islingr – Light bringer

I'm really not great at fighting scenes…so plz, forgive me for this one. I would really appreciate constructive reviews and criticisms for his chapter so I know how to improve future ones. Thank you!


	55. Soul Searching

Chapter 55

The moment that word left his lips, Naruto raised the hand that was on Galbatorix's forehead and with it, a spectral shape of Galbatorix. However, instead of the usual faint purple soul that he had seen before, it was instead nearly pitch-black…the same color as those of the Ra'zac he had ripped from a few months ago.

" _Oh, I really don't want to view this guy's memories if the color is anything to go by. Well, here goes…_ " Accessing the soul that he held between his fingers, Naruto closed his eyes as images of Galbatorix's past flashed by, as well as the knowledge the mad king had accumulated over his 134 years of life.

Inwardly, ever since he had arrived on the shores of Alagaesia, he has always felt curiosity towards the king, whether he was as terrible as the rumors surrounding him made him out to be. He watched as the younger and arrogant Galbatorix ignored the advice of his fellow Riders and recklessly charged into The Spine to go after the Urgals, which got his first dragon Jarnunvösk killed. A surge of pity and sympathy for the young man coursed through Naruto when he felt the heart-wrenching pain and despair capable of driving any man mad happen to Galbatorix, sighing when he watched his request for another dragon rejected by the elders due to the rage and insanity simmering under his black eyes.

After all, he had felt the exact same anguish not even a year ago when the love his life died along with his comrades. Had this been the end, Naruto may have even attempted to try his tried and true Talk no Jutsu on the man whose soul he was reading.

But it wasn't.

To his horror, he watched as Galbatorix roped in a peer named Morzan to forcefully snatch a bonded hatchling from its Rider before killing him and then proceed to betray the rest of his brothers and sisters, innocents who had nothing to do with the elders' decision. And if that wasn't enough, he silently watched as Galbatorix continued to grow his forces, forming the Forsworn and extracting Eldunari after Eldunari through any means necessary, even if it meant the slow mental and physical mutilation of their respective Riders...right before their eyes. Had he been a lesser man or not a shinobi, Naruto might have vomited right then and there at the sight of the inhumane torture and the sick joy it brought to the insane king. Not wanting to see another second of the mad man's life, he zoomed through the rest of his life, witnessing how Galbatorix's personally broke the minds of every single Eldunari in his possession, became king of Alagaesia, and finally rediscovered an long-forgotten name.

"To think you killed people that could be regarded as your family all because of your own damn mistake, and then drag the rest of the Alagaesia into your feud..." Fighting against the urge to simply crush the filthy soul to oblivion, Naruto flung Galbatorix away from him as if he was a piece of trash, but not before ripping one piece of knowledge from his soul. Observing with impassive cerulean eyes, he began to steadily stride forward as the king started to groan as he slowly grew conscious of his surroundings.

Seeing more than hearing the steady and silent steps coming his way, Galbatorix turned his eyes up, only for them to widen when he saw the blonde…no the _monster_ coming for him. With wild eyes, the once majestic king scrambled back away from the approaching abnormality, only to be cornered against another spike.

A shadow soon fell over the still downed Galbatorix as Naruto inexorably strode over to him, covering the silvery light of the full moon as he glared with his spinning Rinne-Sharingan. When he stood almost directly over Galbatorix, the king whispered out at the shinobi that had so easily defeated him.

"Just what are you: god, demon, monster…?"

Naruto merely looked down, not even deigning to answer Galbatorix's question. "I have seen into your soul, and you should consider yourself lucky that I didn't just kill you. But don't worry, I won't." Confusion flitted through the black eyes of Galbatorix as he wondered why Naruto would spare him. A cold voice broke his reverie as it revealed his fate with the surety of a judging god.

"Don't mistake this for mercy Galbatorix, for you will die, just by another's hand."

After giving his ultimatum, Naruto turned to Hiraishin to the seal he had carved into one of Asura's horns, but not before Galbatorix shouted to the blonde's back. "Why do you not kill me yourself? Or are you one of those cowards who doesn't have the balls to finish off their enemies?"

Galbatorix didn't expect to live through his last two questions; in fact, he wanted to die by Naruto's hands. Although he had abandoned most of the creeds of the Dragon Rider Order, inside there still existed that warrior's pride. And for the one who reduced him to such a state to not finish him…what remained of his pride after the one-sided beatdown demanded that he at least be ended by this Naruto rather than to someone or something else.

When he heard Galbatorix's first start to speak, Naruto paused just as he was about to teleport away when he heard what his defeated opponent wanted to say. But after listening to his thinly veiled request, a derisive chuckle forced its way out of the sage's mouth before he merely shook his head and disappeared in a yellow flash.

But not before leaving a few faint, but definite, cryptic words, "You're just not mine to kill…"

Once Naruto teleported back to Asura, Galbatorix continued to blankly looked at the space the blonde previously occupied for several more minutes. As he thought back to the fight he just had, the traitor felt an intense heat start to well up in him when he recalled the final laugh Naruto let out before smashing his fist over and over into the scales below.

Barely wincing at the bruising pain, Galbatorix brought up the clenched fist that now had bits of bone poking through the skin and watched as blood started to flow through his fingers and drip onto the scales that were blacker than the night sky around them.

Soon the fear that once gripped his being was burnt out by the raw fury that now flooded his veins as the laugh that Naruto left on echoed through his head until Galbatorix threw his head back and gave out a roar that was heard back down in Gil'ead.

"Shruikan, bring us back to Urû'baen," commanded Galbatorix as he limped back to the saddle, securing himself as he glared at his bleeding hand.

"You will regret not killing me yourself Naruto. Whoever or whatever you think is going to kill me…I will destroy him and erase his very name from this planet. This, I swear!" gritted out Galbatorix, lifting his hand towards the moon as he swore a blood oath in the ancient language, while the insane duo sped towards the heart of the Empire as somewhere in the insane dragon's mind, a small white light that was all but engulfed by the swirling darkness that was madness and insanity seemed to pulse before growing a little brighter.

However, neither of them noticed the tiny black spider that clung underneath Galbatorix's equally dark robe, almost invisible to the naked eye even when under scrutiny.

xXx

Flashing to Asura, Naruto appeared, standing between the metallic twin horns of his dragon as his senses were bombarded by very familiar sensations that he knew all too well. Glancing around, he noted that they were currently standing amongst the blood and ashes of what used to be the largest garrison in the fortress city.

But what caught his attention were the thousands of elves who were staring and pointing at Asura, and now with him suddenly appearing, thousands of whispers erupted, filling the air with their voices.

" _Uh Asura…did you do something big like use the black flames of Amaterasu, grow extra wings or any other extra limbs?_ " Asura rolled his eyes back when he heard his Rider's thoughts, although he did express some amount of surprise when Naruto mentioned some rather…exotic suggestions.

" _For your information, no I didn't use Amaterasu…although my usual flames do have some of its properties. And…what was that about extra limbs and wings?_ " Naruto just awkwardly coughed into his hand as he lightly tapped the black dragon's head with his feet.

" _We'll discuss this later. Right now, Arya's mother is approaching…and I don't think she knows Arya and I are together now that I think about it._ " Over the past century, Naruto had done many amazing things: almost single-handedly stopped a war, fought and sealed away a goddess within him, made friends with the most powerful of the Bijuu, brought his emo and vengeance-driven brother back into the light, and even married a beautiful wife…he had to admit that somehow broaching the subject to the half a millennia old elven queen that he was currently courting her daughter was something he didn't see coming.

Regally striding through the throng of elves, Queen Islanzadí cut a path straight towards the two. And as she did, Naruto took in her appearance, unconsciously comparing and contrasting the looks of the queen and his lover.

Raven-black hair, naturally red sensuous lips, and forest-green eyes, the queen and Arya could have passed for sisters if not for the slightly different shapes of their eyes. While Arya's were almond-shaped and gave her a slightly softer look, Islanzadí's were more deep-set and angled, giving her a more majestic and icy feeling that went well with her royal aura.

Naruto also noted how differently the two dressed for battle. While Arya opted for plain, black leather armor with no ornaments or fancy trappings that would distinguish her from any other elf by armor alone, Queen Islanzadí was the exact opposite. Clad in a lustrous golden armor carved with intricate designs, Arya's mother shone like the sun from the reflections of the dying flames surrounding them.

Finally, the queen of the elves stepped past the last rank of elves before she stopped a few feet from the Dragon Rider pair. "Naruto-finiarel, are you this dragon's Rider?" Naruto jumped down from his position as Islanzadí got straight to the point, not bothering to mince words when she demanded an answer from the blonde.

Gracefully dropping to the ground without a sound, Naruto promptly answered, "I am Asura's indeed Rider Islanzadí. But enough about that, how's Oromis and Glaedr?"

Some of the elves behind the queen bristled at the disrespect Naruto showed; however, Islanzadí merely waved them off, already used to the foreigner's manner of speaking and knowing he didn't mean anything by it.

"Oromis Shur'tugal and Glaedr Brightscales are currently in the care of our most skilled elven healers. But I must ask what happened up there. While Glaedr was fine, when Oromis was brought by Asura, he had lost much blood and had severe organ damage to the point that he was beyond our skill to heal. It was not the bodily damage that nearly killed him, but rather amount of blood he lost on his way to us."

Naruto frowned. "Then how is Oromis still alive? Not that I'm complaining."

The queen furrowed her defined brows as she recalled the strange event that happened the moment Asura touched down. "What happened was the strangest thing that I have seen in the past century. The moment Asura landed, what appeared to be tree roots erupted from the ground that proceeded to wrap around Oromis. When we were about to free him, we noticed that the roots seemed to be injecting some kind of sap into his veins and his condition stabilized soon after."

The sage temporarily zoned out on the queen's words as remembered a certain tree back in Ellesméra promising him that should Eragon, Arya, or the elf in front of him ever toe the boundary of death, the Menoa Tree would intervene.

" _But she never mentioned saving Oromis should he be in such a situation._ " Naruto thought for a moment as the queen finished her summary of what happened before shrugging, deciding perhaps Linnëa found that keeping Oromis alive was in her best interest.

"Do you anything about this odd occurrence Naruto Shur'tugal?" Arya's mother's voice commanded his attention as Naruto blinked away his musings.

"In fact, I do know about what happened. No doubt you already know of my deal with the Menoa Tree, correct?" Islanzadí didn't bother to nod or show any signs of agreeing with him, only crossing her arms as she waited for him to continue.

"In exchange for my services, Linnëa promised that should Eragon, Arya, or you ever be near the edge of death, she would save all of you, but only once. However, she never mentioned Oromis in that promise." Naruto rubbed his chin as he thought of ways to thank the Menoa Tree while inwardly smirking at the astounded look on the queen's face.

One has to understand that ever since Islanzadí was born and even before, the Menoa Tree almost never spoke to anyone, much less promise to do something so…out of the way of the forest. The closest Islanzadí had gotten to successfully asking anything from the Menoa Tree was singing wood for bows from the tree herself.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Naruto unsealed a camera and whipped it in front of him, snapping a picture with a _click_ before resealing it. " _Oh, I'm definitely showing this picture to Arya,_ " thought Naruto gleefully as the sudden motion startled the queen out of her reverie.

However, other than a slight narrowing of her eyes that would have sent lesser men scurrying for the hills, Islanzadí decided to ignore the odd contraption in favor of asking the question every elf had on their mind.

"What happened up there?"

Quirking up the corner of his mouth, Naruto unsealed Vrangr while intentionally letting loose a huge explosion of smoke that instantly had the other elves reaching for their own weaponry and the first words of thousands of spells on their lips. But the instant the smoke faded away and the blade of the first Rider came into view, all of the eyes of those who could see the sword widened dramatically as they realized the first ever Rider sword.

"…I see what Oromis meant when he left to fight Galbatorix." Islanzadí's right eye started twitching as she stared at the sword, already having deduced what this meant while some of the other elves had even fainted when they considered where Naruto must have gotten the sword from.

"Oh, and what did Oromis say about me?" asked Naruto, amused by the others' reactions and curious of what the eldest Dragon Rider had to say.

Without a hint of hesitation as was her usual way, the queen bluntly relayed what Oromis last said to her before flying away with Galbatorix hot on his heels. "He said 'To fight a monster, sometimes you need another one'."

Knowing that Oromis didn't mean anything negative, Naruto only raised an eyebrow as he softly chuckled to himself, "Well, I'll take that as a compliment then."

Noting the confused look on the queen's face, Naruto explained as he absentmindedly spun around the blade by its hilt, marveling at how perfectly the blade seemed to fit in his palm…when he knew for certain that it didn't at the time he appropriated it…how odd. "If you asked me when I was younger, I would have either loudly yelled back that you were wrong or beaten you into the ground for making such a remark. But now, after living for a century and amassing so much power that even I'm not sure what I'm fully capable of, I find the name _monster_ as quite fitting."

Naruto looked away as he started back to Asura, only pausing for a moment before hopping back onto the space where the dragon's head attached to his neck. "I can tear down mountains with my bare hands, split the sea with my mere name, pulverize the earth with only my aura, cause storms with the flick of my hand, and even alter time and space. So tell me, doesn't my very description fit the definition of monster?"

Islanzadí was struck speechless as she watched Asura tense his muscles in preparation for flight. Although, ever since their first meeting several months ago, she had known that the blonde foreigner was powerful and possibly more so than Galbatorix, she never exactly knew what exactly he could do. But to now know what the…human, she was unsure what exactly to classify him as, was capable of, she had to agree…

He was a monster.

Naruto was dangerous, a threat that could be infinitely worse than Galbatorix should he get it into his head that only he knew what was best for Alagaesia. Her mind then turned towards her daughter. " _Does she know about this?_ "

"Naruto-finiarel, does Arya…" before she could finish the question, a large gust of wind interrupted her as Asura took off. Frowning, Islanzadí turned back to her army to discuss the new development with both the other commanders and most of all with Oromis and Glaedr. Only to stop in her tracks when something nudged at her mind.

Narrowing her eyes, the queen of the elves prepared to annihilate the insolent fool that dared to encroach on her mind with extreme prejudice when she realized the unique signature that belonged to the dragons. And the only dragon that was close to them was Asura and Glaedr, and this mind felt…young.

And so, with great reluctance, Islanzadí lowered the formidable mental wards as she allowed Asura temporary access.

" _What is it you want to tell me, Asura Brightscales?_ "

" _Queen Islanzadí, my Rider wanted me to relay one last thing to you._ " Asura sighed as he prepared himself for the anticipated rant. In fact, he wouldn't have bothered to touch the mind of an elf, other than Arya, if said elf wasn't his Rider's mate's mother.

Curious at the – exasperation? – in the dragon's tone, Islanzadí mentally waved for Asura to continue.

" _Well, Naruto wanted me to tell you that he's currently courting your daughter, Arya Dröttningu and thought it best if he didn't just say it out loud for your entire army to hear._ "

Islanzadí's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she hid any signs of surprise as she shot back with mounting anger. " _And Naruto-finiarel couldn't be bothered to say this to me personally? Especially with something this important to me?_ "

Asura sighed as he silently cursed Naruto for leaving him to deal with the distressed mother-in-law. " _There's a reason Naruto had me tell you instead of himself._ " Islanzadí calmed herself, although there still remained a trace of indignity in her mind.

" _Before he learns to better control his mind in order to not turn yours to goo, he cannot mentally speak to anyone but me and the other Dragon Riders. And that's only because of the mental link allows the two to share the burden and even then…they can only speak for a short time._ " Asura responded back as the queen faintly arched a regal eyebrow at the reason before softly exhaling.

" _I knew my Arya favored your Rider the instant I saw her back in Ellesméra, but I never would have expected the two to move so…fast. It is unusual for one of the elder race to fall for a human, at least that's what he appeared as at first, never mind becoming a couple._ " The two's mental voices grew fainter as the distance increased to the point of nearly inaudible, but not before one more exchange.

" _From the memories Naruto shared with me, you, a potential mother-in-law, are taking the news awfully well. The last time he started dating the daughter of the head of a clan…let's just say almost half of his village was almost levelled to the ground after his father-in-law found out._ " Asura managed to get out as he felt their mental connection start to drastically fade.

Queen Islanzadí stayed silent for a moment as she felt Asura's presence grow weaker and weaker as Naruto decided to let his dragon continue to fly instead of immediately using the Hiraishin to the marker left in his tent. Before the connection was fully broken, Islanzadí spoke out in such a soft voice that Asura had to strain himself to barely make it out.

" _Brightscales, do not confuse us elves for humans. No elf would go into any sort of relationship without being completely certain of their commitment; we are not like humans who fall in and out of love as the seasons change. But most of all,_ " Asura was shocked when he heard a hint of sadness and resignation enter her tone. " _I have lost all rights in giving my opinion to her love life when I drove her away from Ellesméra with my foolishness and misplaced anger. In fact, Naruto probably already knows more about my daughter than I do myself. Tell Naruto that we will be heading directly towards Urû'baen and shall regroup with the Varden in month. Now go, Asura Brightscales, and may the stars look over both of you and Arya._ "

With a slight slump of her slender shoulders, Islanzadí looked nothing like the regal and intimidating queen of the elves who had ruled her kind for a century after her husband's death, but instead like the tired mother who hadn't seen 70 years of her child's life as she turned back to her army, but only for an instant. The majestic conqueror was back as she led her army away from the razed city of Gil'ead

Such weakness could not be shown to her elves once on the campaign. She could wallow in her emotions after the war.

xXx

"So, how was your first battle Asura?" Several minutes had passed since they left Gil'ead and Naruto had listened in on the conversation between Asura and Islanzadí when the blonde grew curious of what happened after he ordered the dragon away.

"Nothing special Naruto. Most of the soldiers were already dead by the time I got there and the elves didn't make it any easier as there wasn't much the humans could do. I only managed to burn maybe around 100 men to ashes before everyone was dead," sighed Asura as Naruto sweat-dropped at the sheer battle lust his dragon seemed to share with him.

A few minutes of silence passed as Naruto and Asura sped towards Feinster. The night sky, which was once filled with clouds and stifling smoke, turned clear as only a few errant clouds drifted in the wind, creating a semblance of rare calm in a war-torn world. Looking up, Naruto stared into the night, silently marveling at the beauty of the twinkling stars and the bright moon that once housed the Goddess Kaguya who he now held captive.

Finally breaking the peace, Naruto softly asked his bound companion, "Asura, do you think there will be a day where we reach beyond the stars?" Asura hummed as he seriously considered the sudden question. He knew that his Rider would not be bound to only this world, never mind Alagaesia. Such a powerful immortal being as Naruto could never be satisfied with merely staying on the same planet for thousands of years. And even though his Rider valued peace, Asura knew that within lay a man who eagerly sought new challenges and adventures to overcome.

"Naruto, I know there will come a day where you…no, we will reach beyond the stars themselves and to new adventures that only the unknown can provide. And you won't be alone: Kurama, my siblings and I, and most of all Arya will be there." Asura replied as Naruto started to chuckle before letting out a peal of laughter that rang out through the sky.

Running through the five required hand seals, Naruto bit his thumb as he forced his injury to not heal instantly before slamming his hand down onto Asura's back. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a small puff of smoke, a small ten-tailed fox popped out on top of Naruto's head. Opening a blood-red eye, Kurama shook out his fur as he enjoyed the fresh air before nestling himself into his host's surprisingly soft hair.

"Why did you summon me brat? I was planning on sleeping off the rather disappointing fight with that black turtle or until you finished _that_ ," grumbled Kurama as he patted the head beneath him with his paw.

"Oh… _that_. Well, you should be happy because that project is almost done and when it is, I'll finally be able to have actual fights until we meet a worthy opponent. But I brought you out just to ask for your answer to my question. I know you were listening furball, so don't pretend." The last remark earned him a rather painful scratch and a small growl from the fox who considered the subject.

"I find it obvious that once there is nothing left to fight or explore on this planet, we will naturally move on to find powerful enemies to fight and kill, whether it be by dimensional travelling or into space itself. I just hope we're even able to find such opponents as our powers are only growing. Personally, I care not where we go, as long as we get into fights where I can finally stretch my legs to their fullest," finished Kurama as his red slit eyes gleamed with a lust for blood and battle.

"I should have known…" sighed Naruto as Asura merely laughed on the side, both having fully expected the giant fox's answer.

At that moment, Naruto's eyes widened as he felt for the second time that night a tug at his gut, indicating the use of one of his Hiraishin kunai.

Oromis had already used his, so the only ones who could still call him were…

"I'll be going ahead Asura. Whatever forced either Eragon or Arya to throw the kunai will most likely be beyond you. So for now, return to my Kamui space." Naruto saw the unwilling look in Asura's eyes, smiling as he knew that expression all too well.

"Don't worry, I'll be teaching you how to voluntarily access the Asura path once we have time." Finally, Asura reluctantly nodded as Naruto muttered 'Kamui', returning Asura to his personal dimension before disappearing in a yellow flash.

His last worried thought was, " _Hold on Arya-hime, I'm on my way._ "

Notes:

Thank you for reading and please leave a review! I know I still have much to improve.


	56. A Dreadful Price

Chapter 56

As Naruto was fighting it out with Galbatorix, the siege of Feinster went on. After the gate had been disintegrated by the sage's new jutsu, Ajihad led the Varden into the city, heeding Naruto's advice as he ordered his commanders and sub-commanders to offer mercy whenever possible and to tell them to swear that they and their Lady Lorana would not come to harm should they but surrender.

To his surprise, almost of those encountered in the first few minutes did in deed lay down their arms when they were promised in the ancient language to do as they say, especially the part of sparing Lady Lorana. In fact, of the 20,000 defenders of Feinster, there existed only around 2,000 soldiers of the Empire.

Unfortunately, the soldiers consisting of the Empire had withdrawn to the main keep of the city, which was heavily fortified such that even the elven spellcasters were having trouble penetrating the miniature fortress. But other than that, the battle gone well.

Too well.

Ajihad had frowned when he watched Saphira carry Eragon and Arya fly over the city in an attempt to take the keep and capture Lady Lorana from above. If everything had gone according to plan, they would have easily secured the ruler of Feinster as well as started to kill their way back to them from the inside out.

That was over 20 minutes ago.

Ajihad narrowed his dark eyes as he looked up at the keep, a cold feeling forming in his gut as he wondered why hadn't they heard anything yet from the trio. Turning to the blue-furred leader of the elves, Ajihad queried Blödhgarm of the whereabouts and condition of the three.

"We cannot seem to contact them either despite our best efforts. Something is…blocking them from mental communication. For now, all we can do double our efforts in taking down their defenses and rejoining with them." Blödhgarm shook his head as he shot another arrow, piercing the head of soldier and killing him before being replaced by another.

Sighing, Ajihad strode back to his soldiers as he ordered the battering ram to be brought up…to destroy yet another, albeit smaller, gate.

Damn, he wished Naruto was here.

xXx

Eragon, Saphira, and Arya were not having a good time.

True, it was ridiculously easy to access the keep and with his wards against arrows, bolts, and stones along with the reserves of the Eldunari, they were able to brush off any projectiles that headed their way.

Finally alighting onto the tallest spire of the keep after entering the dead angle of the archers and the soon to be destroyed catapults on the city's walls, Saphira concisely warned her Rider and Arya as they clambered down onto the roof. "The window is far too small for me. I will meet you in the chamber below." And with that, she took off, buffeting them with the wind from her wings.

Lowering themselves from the roof and onto a narrow stone edge eight feet below them, Eragon ignored the potentially fatal fall should they slip as they inched along to a cross-shaped window before pulling himself through it. Landing with only the faintest of thuds, he immediately scanned the square room, noting the rows of quarrels and crossbows and absence of any soldiers.

Arya climbed through the window at him, inspecting just as he did before gesturing towards the stairs at the far corner of the room and padded toward them, her leather boots silent on the stone floor.

Following her, Eragon and Arya slowed when they felt a strange, but massive, confluence of energy below them and also the minds of over a dozen that were shielded away. Wary of a potential mass mental attack, Eragon withdrew into himself while concentrating of a scrap of elvish poetry.

Looking over to the elf next to him, Eragon didn't even need to ask when he saw the grim look in Arya's eyes as she whispered out, "We should have brought Blödhgarm along with us." She didn't mention Naruto, not wanting to trouble him with every life-threatening situation that happened.

Grimacing, Eragon nodded his agreement before they continued down the steps, each step done carefully and as silently as possible in order keep their advantage of surprise.

The next room in the tower was much larger than the last; the ceiling was over thirty feet high, and from it hung a lantern with faceted panes of glass. A yellow flame burned inside. Hundreds of oil paintings covered the walls: portraits of bearded men in ornate robes and expressionless women sitting amid children with sharp, flat teeth; gloomy, windswept seascapes depicting the drowning of sailors; and scenes of battle, where humans slaughtered bands of grotesque Urgals. A row of tall wooden shutters set within the northern wall opened onto a balcony with a stone balustrade. Opposite the window, near the far wall, was a collection of small round tables littered with scrolls, three padded chairs, and two oversized brass urns filled with bouquets

of dried flowers. A stout, gray-haired woman garbed in a lavender dress sat in one of the chairs. She bore a strong resemblance to several of the men in the paintings. A silver diadem adorned with jade and topaz rested upon her head.

But it was the center of the room that drew their attention. In it stood three concentric rings of a dozen magicians, an array of both men and women in black and red robes with their hoods thrown back and their arms extended out to each side, so that the tips of their fingers touched. They swayed in unison, murmuring an unfamiliar spell in the ancient language. And within the very center of the circles stood another person: a man similarly garbed as the others, but said nothing and grimaced with obvious pain.

When they grew closer, a loud voice echoed within their minds.

" _Eragon and Arya! You must stop the ceremonies in front of you immediately; they are for summoning a multitude of spirits and judging from the situation…that man will turn into a Shade of unspeakable power!_ " Their eyes widened with horror at the thought of not just a normal Shade, but a super-powered one.

" _They're insane…Saphira, we need you now!_ " Ignoring the woman who was obviously Lady Lorana, Eragon mentally yelled out for Saphira, hearing a return roar as she started to work on tearing down the wall of the room.

The entire keep shook under the smashing and fires of the worried and enraged dragon as she tore down the obstruction to the targets within seconds.

Despite having killed a Shade – Durza – before, Eragon held no illusion of his chances of a decisive victory without severe wounds. Durza was powerful yes, as shown by the amount of blood and terror he alone caused to the Varden. But in the end, he was only composed of three spirits and from the looks of things, each of these new Shades would house at least as many dark spirits as there were magicians. The only confidence he had was his mental defense that was aided by the 134 Eldunari behind him and his bonded dragon Saphira.

To his side, Arya also felt an immense amount of worry and apprehension as she recalled that only three people had managed to ever kill a Shade, and the one next to her had help from Naruto of all people. But underneath all of that, there was a current of excitement at the prospect of finally testing her new strength against a worthy opponent…that wasn't Naruto.

Perhaps the blonde had rubbed off more on her than she thought.

With a terse nod to each other, Eragon and Arya wasted not even a second as they began their work, darting towards the unmoving magicians and slicing at their throats. Immediately, their swords were met by incredibly dense wards as Arya's sword was deflected by a spray of sparks. Only Eragon's blade managed to catch a hold on the arcane shield due to its anti-magic properties before he poured more chakra into those wards and proceeded to pierce through and easily behead the still motionless magician.

At that instant, Eragon groaned as he felt his chakra substantially decrease as his wards blocked whatever spell was keyed to the destruction of the magic shield. Gasping while fortifying himself with the jewels of the belt of Beloth the Wise, Eragon sprinted towards the next one.

On the other side, Arya narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she channeled a small amount of chakra through her pathways, increasing her speed and strength enough to easily slash through the wards. Grunting, she too felt her reserves start to decrease before she instinctively performed a single seal Kawarimi with the body of the man Eragon just killed. Puffing into existence, Arya turned to where she substituted from, only to see the body turn itself inside out as the retaliatory spell ran its course, before running towards the next one.

By this time, Saphira had smashed her way through the wall and immediately started to help Eragon as he started to encounter wards that took up more precious seconds and energy to cut through by himself. Only after a few seconds of Eragon and Saphira taking turns of hacking, stabbing, battering, and slicing at the barrier did they finally kill another one, this time by stabbing him through the heart. Soon enough, Arya had to join in as the wards grew too strong for her to efficiently destroy on her lonesome.

Although they made good progress, the chanting of the remaining spellcasters grew faster and more feverish as yellow foam began to encrust the corners of their mouths, spittle from their lips, and only the whites of their eyes showed; through it all, they only kept up their invocation, not even bothering to flee or attack.

By the time the last man of the first circle was bisected at the waist, a giant cluster of multicolored lights hurtled into the room through the broken shutters and converged upon the man seated on the floor in the middle of the circles.

" _Just what did they do to summon so many spirits? There must be over a hundred of them!_ " thought both Eragon and Arya as they watched in horror at the sheer number of spirits that converged on them.

The glowing spirits flashed with angry virulence as they whirled around the man, forming an impenetrable wall. He threw up their arms as if to shield himself and screamed. The air hummed and crackled with the energy that radiated from the flickering orbs. A sour, ironlike taste coated Eragon's tongue, and his skin prickled. The hair on the surrounding spellcasters' heads were standing on end. Across from them, Saphira hissed and arched her back, every muscle in her body rigid.

Grimly, Eragon and Arya readied themselves before pouncing forward, knowing deep inside that it was already too late to prevent the creation of the Shade and hoped that their preemptive attack would destroy the threat.

Leaping over the surrounding magicians, man and elf looked in disgust as the ones under them shriveled up as if their very blood and life were being drained to fuel their unleashed monster. Knowing that only a thrust to the heart could truly kill a Shade, Eragon and Arya stabbed downwards, precisely aiming for the still vulnerable organ.

Then there was a thump.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the attacking duo watched what only a rare few in the entire history of Alagaesia ever witnessed: the birth of a Shade.

In less than a blink of an eye, the originally dark brown and black hair of the man turned red as blood, his skin paled to that of paper even as their very flesh seemed to fold in upon themselves, assembling muscles far denser than those of even the fittest of humans and all but the strongest of elves, creating a body that resembled that of a runner's.

Finally, just as both of their swords were about to pierce his heart, its owner's eyes snapped open, revealing irises the same color as their hair and smoldering with the taint of madness and wanton need for destruction.

Faster than either Eragon or Arya could react to, the newborn Shade grabbed at the offending blades that had sunk a centimeter into his chests with his bare hands, ignoring the black blood that now poured down the edges and dripped onto the polished floor.

Then seemingly with ease, the Shade swung the still airborne two away by their blades towards the walls with a force that would have shattered the bones of any man.

But not them.

With a flip, Eragon and Arya landed feet first onto the oil paintings that lined the walls, sticking to them before hopping back down onto the floor, their swords held out in front of them.

The Shade quirked his faint eyebrows up, the spirits within him curious for but a second as they watched the two fleshlings perform an…interesting feat. But that curiosity quickly faded as they held their new hands at the ready, eager to tear the Rider and elf in front of them apart.

"Our name is Vaurag," said the two Shades simultaneously. "Fear us."

A sudden burning pressure appeared as both Eragon and Arya clenched their teeth, large beads of sweat starting to appear on their foreheads as they resisted the mental assault of the Shade.

" _Barzul, this Vaurag is far stronger than Durza!_ " Eragon gritted his teeth as he saw Saphira on the other side of him was also under attack; she sat stiff and motionless by the balcony, a snarl carved on her face. Meanwhile, a vein pulsed on Arya's forehead as she deeply frowned at the intruder attempting to break into her mind.

But that was the extent of it. Had they been attacked before their dormant chakra pathways were activated, they would have been nearly immobilized just by that one attack.

And so they were locked in a stalemate; neither side was able to destroy and get past each other's mental defenses. But, the trio knew, that it was only a matter of time before the Shade managed to crack through their barriers and kill or control them.

"Eragon, this cannot go on! Call on the Eldunari and have them occupy Vaurag's mind while we find a more…physical solution!" gritted out Arya as she blocked yet another vicious mental attack that managed to warp her failing barriers.

The young Dragon Rider was only able to nod as he carefully split a very small part of his mind to contact the Eldunari behind while making sure he didn't give Vaurag a free opening into his mind.

" _Umaroth-elda, we need your help dealing with this Shade. Even though I know you want to keep your presence hidden as long as possible…but if this abomination gets away, who knows what horrors he could do with such power!_ " Eragon continued to struggle as he watched the dark tendrils in his mind snake around his solid steel defenses, looking for the slightest hole or weakness that would potentially end him.

Several short yet long seconds passed as Umaroth and the others quickly debated on whether they should possibly reveal themselves to any hidden spies or kill this Shade that seemed far stronger than any of its predecessors.

There wasn't much of a choice.

The roar of over a hundred dragons rang out in Eragon's mind, causing him to look over the steel walls of his mental fortress and smile in relief when he saw the giant white dragon Umaroth lead the other Eldunari to his aid. He watched as 134 dragons of varying sizes, the biggest being over three times the size of Saphira, all open their jaws and spewed out what he could only describe as a multi-colored firestorm, making him avert his gaze lest he be blinded and causing the surrounding darkness to burn away and retreat back to their origin.

A terrible scream rent the air as the spirits that Vaurag was composed of pulled back to their mortal shell, his red eyes – now filled with molten fury that would only be satisfied after killing everyone within the city – focused on the man from where the dragons originated from. Freed from their mental duel, Arya, Eragon and Saphira all shook their heads, clearing away the black spots that still danced in front of their eyes, before readying their weapons and claws.

"You…You and the dragons shall die," growled Vaurag. "You all shall die for imprisoning us in this cold, hard clay."

Once again, the Shade attempted to break through their minds, to seize control and torture them until they broke, before going out and massacring the other insects that dared to force the noble and once pure spirits into this dirty shell of a body.

Only this time, Umaroth once again lead the other Eldunari in retaliation, seeking to isolate the considerable prowess away from the more fragile minds of their allies as they battled at the speed of thought. Noting how her mind had not yet been assaulted, Arya quickly noted the rubble and bodies that still surrounded the Shade, creating and relaying a potential battle plan to her two other companions.

Pumping chakra through her network and into her legs after receiving their confirmations, Arya lunged at Vaurag with a speed that defied the normal limits of elf physiology. The Shade's eyes widened as in a blink of an eye, she blurred in front of him, her sword already thrusting once again towards his one weakness.

As she did Eragon too, although at a slightly slower pace, sped towards probably the most powerful Shade to ever exist in Alagaesia to flank around and attack from the back. Saphira stood back, knowing that her bulk would prove more of a hindrance than a benefit and for all her muscle and flames, any 'fatal' blow other than a thrust through the heart would result in Vaurag dispersing, only to appear elsewhere fully healed and even stronger than before. Instead, she joined her mind with Eragon's, providing an extra layer of security as well as sharing her line of vision

Vaurag knew that for all of his newfound might, he did not hold much of an advantage against his current opponents. His and all Shade's strongest weapon – the mind – was effectively negated due to the presence of the Eldunari. However, the dragons were only able to prevent him from lashing out; not even they could bear to look long at the jumbled and incoherent landscape of his mindscape without going mad.

Which left close quarters combat and magic.

With a snarl Vaurag slapped away the blade in front of him, causing several of his fingers to pop out of their joints, only for them to pop back into place with several sickening cracks. Flowing with the sudden force, Arya spun as she transferred the considerable momentum back into her downward slash, aiming to maim rather than kill.

At the same time, Eragon appeared behind the Shade, stabbing Brisingr towards the same target as Arya did. Slipping away, Vaurag grabbed at the elven blade that was aimed at his right arm with his left hand, before redirecting it towards the Rider behind him with a splash of black blood.

Sparks flew as Arya's blade met with Eragon's wards before Arya leaned under the Shade's attempt at taking her blade for himself. Pivoting towards Eragon, they nodded to each other, both familiar with the other's sword style due to the many spars within Naruto's Kamui. And then as one, man and elf dashed forward at speeds that left them a mere blur moving through the air.

By then, Vaugar had taken advantage of the brief, but long enough, reprieve to snatch up two swords from the bodies of the magicians that surrounded them. With a single movement, the Shade kicked one of those bodies towards the quickly approaching two, causing them to swerve in order to avoid the corpse that would have went straight through their wards.

Despite being able to deflect swords, hammers, axes, arrows, and even stones from catapults…nobody expected a carcass – human or otherwise – to be thrown at them.

Then they collided. Sending chakra throughout their bodies, Arya and Eragon reinforced and strengthened their muscles to previously impossible levels as they battered at the Shade. Under their deluge of steel that would have cut down even the nimblest of elves…Vaugar held strong.

Each of his arms were independently controlled by a few spirits as they forced the limbs to oftentimes bend at unusual angles, blocking and parrying the silver and sapphire sword that sought to impale their heart. Although the spirits hated the cold body they were forced into, they hated even more the host of men and elves that was the reason for their imprisonment.

On the side, Lady Lorana could only tightly grip the side of her chair, hoping beyond hope that the Varden would triumph over the monster. She never wanted to fight the rebels and indeed would have allied with them, if it wasn't for the oath of loyalty to Galbatorix in the ancient language she was forced to say from the damned magicians that laid on the floor.

Steel clashed against steel as sweat and blood of both red and black flew through the air as a rare few strikes broke past. Several minutes passed as sword strikes that generated fierce wind currents met against an airtight defense and to the one noncombatant, it seemed as if Arya and Eragon were at least stalemated if not winning against the Shade.

That wasn't the case.

Even as the seconds passed, Arya and Eragon could feel themselves tiring from the numerous small wounds that lined their bodies. While they could easily heal themselves with a spell, it would consume precious chakra that they couldn't spare as well as present a fatal opening.

Slowly and surely, they were pushed back as the spirits within Vaugar grew accustomed to their body and its limits – growing in strength and agility even as Arya and Eragon grew weary from a combination of wounds, physical and chakra exhaustion. It was only a matter of time before either one of them made a mistake, no matter how minor, that would instantly turn the fight against them or Vaugar found a way to snake past their mental or physical defenses.

Then it happened.

Snaking past his defenses, Eragon suddenly found himself at the pointy business end of a chipped, but still deadly, sword that was currently on route to piercing his heart. Barely managing to make a half-step to the right, the Rider hissed before gritting his teeth when he felt cold unforgiving steel rip past his dwarven-made armor and into his chest, scratching bone before plunging into his lung and out the other side.

Saphira on the other side of the room roared out as she too felt the searing pain that Eragon tried to suppress while Arya unleashed a flurry of blows in anger, attempting to force the Shade away from her wounded comrade. Grinning at finally heavily injuring one of his foes, the pale Shade began to withdraw his blade as the notches along the damaged sword caused the wound to deepen and even more blood to splash out onto the floor.

Finally, the fresh pain proved too great as Eragon screamed out in agony as the sword essentially sawed itself way out of his wound. A sadistic light shined in those wine-red eyes as the Shade batted aside the distracted and horrified Eldunari before plunging through the weakened defenses of Eragon and Saphira as if it were just wet tissue paper.

A blinding light caused Vaurag's eyes to dilate as the spirits flooded Eragon's mind trapping him. . . transfixing him. . . suppressing his thoughts until Eragon could do no more than stare at the Shade with dumb rage, his crippling pain all but forgotten. Then they saw a sight more wondrous than even themselves.

Chakra.

This was not the restricted chakra that was always hidden behind gates of iron they had seen before so many times. No, this chakra moved, it flowed, it _breathed_ , as if the energy itself was alive and most of all…free. Spirits, no matter how light or dark they were, have always held an immense amount of pride in their forms and felt that any being clad with flesh and blood should feel blessed to have merely seen them. But this…they just had to possess.

"Your ring is full of light!" exclaimed Vaurag, his voice full of pleasure. "Beautiful light! It will feed us a long time!"

Just as Vaurag was about to seize Eragon's body, the Shade frowned in anger when his intended target suddenly disappeared in a puff a smoke, the weight on his sword disappearing even as the smoke obscured his vision. With a growl, Vaurag whipped his head around, looking for his prey. But so intent was he on searching for Eragon, he had momentarily forgotten his other opponent, Arya.

And so he missed the tiny glint of light at the corner of his eyes as a sapphire blade came rushing through the smoke, aiming straight towards his heart as Arya appeared with a look of raw determination shining in her eyes, having used a Kawarimi with the wounded Eragon and nearly depleting her chakra reserves doing so. Seeing the Shade still distracted Arya, now wreathed in smoke and looking like a specter of death itself, gripped the bottom of the hilt as she stabbed out with the last remaining bits of her chakra, minimizing the distance Eragon's sword needed to travel to the pumping organ.

As if hearing the sound of his death, Vaurag felt a very human chill run down his spine as he swiftly glanced back towards the source, only for his eyes to widen when he felt something cold pierce his chest as a voice rang out from the other side.

" _Brisingr!_ "

Looking down, Vaurag saw what caused the feeling: a sword, sheathed in icy blue flames that licked down its scintillating blue blade that now felt like the sun itself, was buried up to its hilt within his heart. His dimming eyes trailed up, searching for his killer until he met the fierce green eyes of Arya, daughter of the queen of elves.

"You…you would dare take the light away from us? You mere elf?" The dull crimson eyes seemed to light up as vengeance and apocalyptic wrath took hold of Vaurag's final moments.

Feeling danger she had never felt before, Arya attempted to back up, only for a pale white arm to shoot out and grab hold of her arm with bone-crushing strength.

Wrenching back her arm, she was only able to put up a pathetic struggle as she was near to passing out from chakra exhaustion from the previous battle, enhancing her body against the Shade, and finally performing two Kawarimi's with one being Eragon himself who still had chakra left in him.

Raising his left hand, Vaurag sneered. Today, he will cease to exist and disperse back as the free spirits he was, but not before exacting a suitable price for denying him the light unknown to him previously.

A finger, level with her green orbs, pointed straight at her as Vaurag spoke his last words.

"You…will not die, but instead forever live in the darkness. _Garjzla_!" Two thin red beams shot out of the finger at unspeakable speed…

…and directly into her eyes.

With a sharp cry, Eragon and Saphira watched in horror as their friend and close comrade let go of their sword and fall to her knees, crying tears of blood while clutching at the hollow cavities that once held her enchanting forest-green eyes. Ignoring everything else, including his own punctured lung, Eragon lurched forward, almost falling to his knees, before catching himself and tottering towards Arya, who by now had regained her calm and casted a minor healing spell to stop the bleeding.

Supporting himself, Eragon's thumb accidentally brushed against a smooth circular piece of metal that he could stick a finger through.

" _Oh, I'm an idiot._ " Realizing what it was, Eragon fumbled around with fingers that seemed to refuse his commands before weakly grasping the Hiraishin kunai he kept on him at all times in his failing trip, and tossing it towards Arya.

 _Chink._

The stone floor of the keep didn't prove to be an obstacle as the keen edge of the kunai stabbed into it. Twitching her pointed ears, Arya snapped her head towards the unnatural sound, grasping at her own sword that was in its sheath at her side.

However, the moment she laid her hand on the leather-bound hilt, a warm, familiar hand gently laid itself on top of hers, preventing her from unsheathing her blade.

But she knew she didn't need to, because she knew exactly who was in front of her.

Then Arya heard a soft sigh that pulled at her heartstrings. Ducking her head, the elf attempted to hide away her grievous wounds, not wanting to show her love what she knew were ugly remnants of her eyes as well as the tears of blood that still ran down her face.

Only for another hand to tilt her chin up, preventing her from looking away and instead revealing the true extent of her horrific state.

"Naruto…please…don't," resisting, Arya weakly fought against the hand until she heard a whisper above the piercing, dithering wail that shattered the panes of glass in the lantern above from the Shade.

"Let me see."

And just like that, all attempts at resisting stopped as she allowed her face to be lifted up, crystal tears starting to flow down as Arya waited for the flinch of disgust, a single tremor that would show the emotion she most feared from him…disappointment.

Several seconds passed, but nothing of the sort happened. Just as Arya was growing confused at Naruto's lack of reaction, the hands that once laid on her own hand and chin moved up to cup her angular cheeks, once a vibrant light honey now turned pallid from pain and blood loss, his thumbs lightly brushing away the tears that continued to trickle from the ends of her destroyed eyes.

At that moment, everything else fell away as she felt nothing but the warmth emanating from his rough and callused palms as his thumbs sent delightful bolts of electricity zipping down her spine and through her nerves. Leaning in towards his hands, Arya completely relaxed her battle-worn muscles, demonstrating her utter trust in the blond to allow no further harm towards her.

"Arya-hime," murmured Naruto after a few seconds, the tips of Arya's ears twitching up to listen to the sage's words. "I know what you are thinking, and I only have one thing to say."

Although she couldn't see, Arya could just _feel_ the smile Naruto was currently sending her way. It was different from his usual, bright grin; rather, it was a small one that nonetheless conveyed his deeper emotions that his usual one just couldn't.

"I'm proud of you Arya. Just from looking around, I can tell you used the Kawarimi to save Eragon and likely got injured after fatally wounding that banshee behind me. And because of that, these wounds that you think ugly and shameful…are anything but. Instead, they are beautiful as they are proof of your true character."

The combination of stress from fighting and killing the most powerful Shade in history, watching Eragon get impaled, losing her sight in a gruesome way, and her Naruto saying such soothing words without a hint of falsehood rendered her speechless. And so she settled to just cup her still bloody hands around those around her now blushing cheeks, reveling in the adoration she felt from him.

A sudden ripping sound interrupted them as it echoed through the air when the pale skin of Vaurag that had turned transparent, showing the dozens of black spirits that possessed the body, started to crack and rip at the seams as the spirits fought their way out of the confines of their prison.

Turning around, the innocuous tiny fox that rested on the blond's head narrowed his red eyes at the abomination as he watched in disgust at the sight and at the sheer rage Naruto felt, but kept suppressed in fear of losing control and destroying with his unleashed chakra alone.

"Once this is all over, there is something I wanted to gift to you earlier, but held back as out of all of the things I brought from the Elemental Nations…this is by far the most dangerous and yet the most precious object I own. But with this, I no longer hold a shadow of a doubt of just what kind of woman I've fallen in love with. But for now, let me end this."

Letting go of Arya's face, Naruto spun on his heels to face the Shade who still stared hatefully at his beloved behind him. Striding forward, the God of Shinobi activated his Rinne-Sharingan as he looked into and past the maroon eyes of Vaurag, searching for any reasons why he should regret doing what he planned on unleashing.

He found none.

Only two words left his mouth, but what followed next burned itself deep into the memories of Eragon, Saphira, and the rest of the Eldunari.

"Kurama…devour."

Notes:

Sorry for taking so long for this chapter. I had a lot of trouble writing it as it was the first scene where Naruto was not present until the end. I understand if you guys feel think it's too drawn out, too cheesy…because I can agree on that. Maybe it's the anime and other fanfics I've been reading that influenced me…whatevs. Thank you for reading, and please a review!


	57. Gift

Chapter 57

"Kurama…devour."

"Devour? Devour what? And Kurama…that small fox?" Sharing the same confusion, Eragon and Saphira turned as one towards the ten-tailed fox who by now had jumped off of his comfortable spot and onto the scarred stone floor, a reminder of the intense fight that only ended less than a minute ago.

 _Tap…tap…tap…tap_.

Slowly Kurama padded towards the Shade, his claws clicking against floor before stopping right in front of Vaurag whose body already had a multitude of fissures with some spirits partially leaking out. Sticking his nose up, the fox sniffed the air, reveling at the undiluted scent of hatred, fury, and even fear. Somehow, the spirits within the Shade knew on an instinctual level that before the tiny fox…they were but prey to be eaten and disposed of.

" **Humph, although I don't like it when you command me, I'll admit…this is quite the delicacy.** " Red slitted eyes gleamed as Kurama suddenly grew to the point his head was level with Vaugar's. And as he grew, his sheer presence also swelled and with it, the malevolent aura that he still carried over from his days as the Kyuubi.

Eragon was not one to give into simple fear. In fact, compared to most, if not all other mortal men and even the elves, he could be considered damn near the top of fearlessness. Saphira needn't be mentioned; believing herself to be the last of her noble species, Saphira was forced to adapt to a role that was expected of her, and showing any amount fear was simply unbecoming.

All of that flew out of the smashed window when they felt the malicious aura emanating from the now large fox, forcing them to their knees. Compared to the quivering Shade in front of them who represented the pinnacle of negative emotions in the history of Alagaesia…it was like a mere drop to an entire ocean.

" _Just what is that…thing?_ " ran through both Eragon's and Saphira's minds, unable to connect the little cute fox with the _monster_ in front of them while the Eldunari patted themselves on the back for not further antagonizing the fox or Naruto back under Doru Araeba. After giving their eggs to the sage, they later wondered whether the Juubi was even able to manifest its full power out in the real world.

Now they knew.

Arya couldn't see what was happening, but she definitely did not miss the sudden surge of malignant aura. " _Ah…so this is Kurama's true form. Even though I cannot see him, I can tell why Asura was so afraid of being trained by him. Just his aura alone is so overwhelming._ " Little did anyone, including the Eldunari, know that should Kurama had taken his complete form…they might have simply died from heart attacks; the sheer terror they would have experienced from the monstrous killing intent would have been more than enough to kill them.

Opening his maw, Kurama revealed razor sheep teeth that were capable of easily tearing through dragon scales as strands of saliva dripped and pooled onto the floor. Unknown to the others, Naruto rolled his eyes at the unnecessary dramatic effects his foxy friend.

" _Come on, was that really necessary?_ " sighed Naruto.

" ** _Yes it was, and don't try to hide it. You know you enjoyed it_** **,** " snickered Kurama as a muscle in Naruto's jaw twitched.

" _I usually would if my love wasn't just blinded by the same…thing that you're about to eat, you insufferable furball._ " Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his golden locks. " _Just end this farce already so I can get Arya to a safe place to start the procedure._ "

The large fox snorted at his host's response as he snapped at one of the spirits that had managed to free itself from its mortal shell, chewing at it before swallowing it to the amazement of everyone, except Naruto and Arya who couldn't see, in the room.

Spirits were supernatural entities and seen as forces of nature…if said forces had the same magical strength as a dragon and enough mental strength to simply power through the barriers of most, if not all, humans, elves and dwarves. They were among the most mysterious and enigmatic of beings that existed in Alagaesia, and to see one actually being _eaten…_

…that was a shock to the others.

The moment the first spirit was eaten, the others that comprised Vaurag's body stilled, before going into a frenzy to escape their prison. As the cracks on the Shade's skin widened, so too did the number of spirits that managed to free themselves.

Only to find their next destination to be the dark belly of the Juubi himself as Kurama, with stunning speed and accuracy, made sure that not even a single one the unusual, hatred-filled orbs of sentient chakra escaped his jaws.

Seeing even more of their kind consumed by the demon fox, Vaurag gave one last piercing scream before his body finally burst apart in a bright flash of light; the caged spirits made a run for it with the fastest of them already starting to slip through the surrounding stone as they weren't there.

" **Humph, know your place, lunch!** "

Without moving a millimeter from his position, Kurama began to inhale, forcing most of the spirits that were still within a few feet of him to come hurtling back into his mouth, letting out wails of their own as their very existence was erased from the world. As for the ones that almost escaped, it was as if a mass Banshō Ten'in was done, jerking them back into his open jaws even as they squirmed and struggled before they were ripped to shreds by teeth that by all accounts shouldn't have been able to even touch them.

Once all of the spirits were consumed, the Juubi no Kitsune fell back on his haunches as he let out a loud, satisfied belch before shrinking back to his chibi form and jumping back to what could only be described as his go-to perch – Naruto's hair.

For a few seconds, there was only silence as nearly everyone sat/kneeled, slack-jawed at what they just witnessed as Naruto scanned the area with bright saffron eyes for any ambient spirits after sending a command for the Kage Bunshins in the Byakugou seal on his forehead to pause in gathering Nature Chakra that prevented his passive Sage Mode Level 1. Sensing nothing, Naruto reactivated the seal before clapping his hands to gather everyone's attention.

"If that's everything, I will be bringing Arya with me to my Kamui in order to heal her eyes. Just tell my clone if you need anything." A shadow clone of him then stepped out from behind him before going over to Eragon to treat his punctured lung.

"Jeez Eragon, just what happened to you? I thought I hammered into you to guard your vitals with my training," said the clone as he swept over Eragon with glowing green hands.

"Tch, training my ass. It's just an excuse to torture me," muttered Eragon under his breath, so quiet that even elves wouldn't have noticed.

Unfortunately, despite being only a clone of the original, the senses the Naruto clone possessed far outstripped any of those available to the elves, no matter how modified they were. With a rather sweet smile that definitely did not belong on Naruto's face, Eragon began to back away, only to find his shoulders tightly clutched by…wait…were those claws?

Saphira just sighed as she did a quick mental prayer for her Rider, hoping that his agony – and by extension hers as well – would be quick…not that she had much hope of that happening.

"Eragon-chan, did you say something?" That sweat that was dripping down his forehead? It was from the dreadful wounds that by the second were disappearing. It most definitely did not have anything to do with the shadows that seemed to come alive on the clone's face. After all, how could the great Dragon Rider Eragon be afraid of some clone?

Naruto just chuckled at his clone's antics before nodding towards the Eldunari, " _I have the king's knowledge. I'll transfer it to you later after we leave Feinster._ "

Shock ran through the minds of the deceased dragons as Umaroth could only reply with a simple mental nod of thanks before falling silent with his brethren due to shock and disbelief.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Naruto turned back to Arya before kneeling down and picking her up in a princess carry, much to her chagrin as she attempted to protest, but quickly stopped due to chakra exhaustion.

As Naruto's normally cerulean eyes swirled into the violet of the Rinne-Sharingan, the very air seemed to collapse on itself into which the two disappeared.

Recognizing the jutsu, Eragon stared as space untwisted itself back to its normal state. Once the clone fully healed his wounds, the young Rider stood up and with barely a stumble, went for his sword that still laid on the ground after piercing Vaurag's heart.

"I guess there are now two Shadeslayers. What a time to be alive, eh?" with a quiet laugh, Eragon headed towards the unconscious ruler of Feinster, Lady Lorana, who had long since fainted when Kurama grew the same height as a man.

Not knowing whether there were any wards against magic, Eragon settled for shaking the Lady awake. Eyelids flickered as she awoke, before opening wide to wildly look around the room, searching for the giant fox that almost killed her through its sheer presence. Finding not even a patch of fur, her tensed shoulders relaxed as she looked back at the young man with elven features.

"Lady Lorana, are you alright?" asked Eragon.

"Yes, yes I think so, Shadeslayer. But just where is that monstrous fox that managed to eat a Shade?" returned the ruler of Feinster as she glanced over his armored shoulder.

Peeking back, Eragon quickly noticed that the Naruto clone was either not there, or was invisible. " _He must not want more people to know about him,_ " thought Eragon as he looked back at Lady Lorana.

"There was no such thing as a fox, only that Arya killed the Shade, was terribly injured, and was taken by Naruto to a place of healing, am I understood?" The Lady of Feinster was about to protest when she spotted that glint in the young man's eyes. Being the ruler of a relatively important city, she was no stranger to politics and had learned long ago what that expression meant.

"Ah, I see Eragon Shadeslayer. The fighting and my near death experience must have overly stressed my mind, causing me to imagine things. After all, how could there possibly be a fox that large?" Lady Lorana slightly bowed her head as she stopped actively searching for the fox.

Sensing she understood his intentions, Eragon gave a small nod of thanks before offering a gauntleted hand for her to take. Stained with the blood of some of her people, the hand went untouched as Lady Lorana chose instead to stand on her own as she swept towards the exit that lead to the Varden army that no doubt surrounded the keep.

Eragon just looked down at his hand and stared at it for a moment before noticing the trails of blood that were drying out on it. " _Ah, I see. So that's why she didn't take my hand._ " Shrugging, Eragon thought nothing of it and proceeded to follow right behind her and safely escort the Lady of Feinster to Ajihad.

With a final glance at where the duo vanished, Eragon wondered what exactly the gift that Naruto mentioned was before hurrying after Lady Lorana with his sword out, prepared to sweep aside any remaining defenders.

"Come Saphira, we have a civilian to catch." With a snort, the sapphire dragon wheeled back into her domain as Eragon caught up with his temporary charge, getting in front of her to protect her from any threats coming from the front.

xXx

Meanwhile, as Eragon and Saphira accompanied Lady Lorana, Naruto continued to carry Arya in his arms, striding past his clones – who were constantly training to further his mastery of all the elements and bloodlines that required two or three of them, with the end goal of doing away with hand-seals altogether – until they reached a relatively large cabin in the middle of a grove of trees.

Once they were a foot away from the entrance, the door slowly opened, revealing a horse-sized Kurama who had opted to manifest in a smaller form.

Eyeing the blind elf in his friend's arms, Kurama turned to the single unusual object in the barren room: a small box layered with seals that prevented anyone but Naruto from even coming within a few inches of its lacquered surface.

" **Are you sure about this Naruto?** **If you're wrong about your mate, you will be the only one on this planet able to stop her.** " asked the fox in a rare serious tone, indicated when he used the blond's name rather than one of his regular insults.

"Yes I am, Kurama. And are you ready to do your part?" asked Naruto back, as he shrugged past the fox and into the room.

" **Yes, it's ready. All you have to do is use the jutsu and I will direct it to the isolated area. I just hope you know what you are doing.** " Kurama replied as he followed behind Naruto, watching several pillars of wood burst from the middle of the floor before shaping themselves into a smooth operating table.

Placing Arya on it, Naruto created another clone who, without a word, went through the seals needed for the Shōsen Jutsu.

As the clone diagnosed and healed the elf, he also mentally rattled out all of the injuries he found.

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked back and forth between his clone and Arya, repeating with some exasperation the list of injuries she sustained.

"Moderate case of chakra exhaustion, hairline fractures on both arms and hands, shallow to deep cuts all over your body, and finally completely burnt out eyes. Damn Arya-hime, just what did you do in the hour I wasn't here?"

If she still had her eyes, she would have rolled them at him. "Oh I don't know Naruto," said Arya sarcastically, "after the gates fell, I might have been one of the first to break into the city, kill around a hundred or so soldiers, fly with Eragon and Saphira directly to the keep while avoiding hundreds of arrows seeking to turn us into pincushions, and then get into a fight with the powerful Shade in history while managing to kill him before he killed us." Whatever manners that were pounded into her since birth was forgotten when in the presence of her other half and especially after a stressful life-and-death battle.

Kurama, who had by then made his way to their side, glanced between the two before chuckling in amusement. " **She's got you there, brat.** "

With an eye roll of his own, Naruto just muttered 'whatever' before biting his thumb and swiping it on the exterior of the box. With a small 'pop', the small chest opened, revealing a jar full of preservative liquid…

...and two floating eyes.

With a fond, yet sad smile, Naruto stared at the orbs for a second before grabbing the container and moving back to Arya.

Having heard the clicking sound of the box opening, Arya couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "What exactly is this 'gift' you mentioned earlier."

"…my first wife's eyes," said Naruto as he went through what had to be done in order to fully use the eyes that were once touched by Hamura's chakra.

Arya froze at the answer. " _He's…giving me his late wife's eyes?_ "

Not waiting for Naruto to continue, Arya struggled up from her supine position before propping herself on her elbows, "Wait Naruto, why are you doing this? Couldn't you simply regenerate my eyes like you did to Glaedr-elda's leg earlier? Surely that would be simpler instead of using something so obviously precious to you."

Pausing his thoughts, Naruto considered how best to answer Arya's questions without hurting her pride. Sighing, he decided to be blunt about it.

"Arya, you already know that soon after this war, I will be leaving Alagaesia." Arya frowned at the answer, but nodded her agreement. Although Naruto had never directly told her his plans, it was something she had deduced long ago. Seeing her nod, Naruto continued.

"There are many things I had to consider after I left like: finding a new home for the Riders, planning out where to go next, but most of all…you." Tilting her head initially in confusion, Arya instantly deduced what he meant.

"I see you know what I mean." Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Alagaesia is your home, one that you have been fighting for a century in the hopes of one day freeing her from Galbatorix. Even though I love you, I can't ask you to just up and leave; it would be heartless of me to make you choose between me…and your home, family, friends, comrades, and even your future. And that's when I decided." Naruto's hand fell away from his head as he caressed the still pale cheek of his new love.

"Whether or not you choose to come with me in the end, it doesn't matter. The only thing I care about is your safety, and judging from what just happened…I say my concern is fully justified." Bringing up the same hand that was on her cheek, Naruto delivered a light flick to her forehead when he said the last statement.

Slightly annoyed at the finger flick, Arya blindly swatted at the perpetrator, but when she kept missing, Arya instead pouted her displeasure, which only earned her another flick.

Naruto loudly sighed at the rare act of childishness she showed before smiling, relieved that despite hiding her emotions and only showing her cold side, she was still able to display how she truly felt.

" _Boss, it's done._ " With a nod towards his clone, Naruto mentally dispelled him while feeling a miniscule amount of chakra rush back into his network.

"Arya, the eyes I will be implanting into you are called the Byakugan, otherwise known as the All Seeing White Eye, and belonged to my wife, Hinata Hyuuga, the princess of the Hyuuga clan. These eyes allow the user to see almost 360º, through walls, and even great distances. These eyes in particular allowed my Hinata to see well over 20 kilometers away with great clarity. And like my Rinne-Sharingan, they can also see chakra, but to a much greater extent than my own can."

As Naruto rattled off the advantages of the Byakugan, Arya started to wonder what kind of woman this Hinata was. Was she kind? Was she strong? Why did Naruto love her? What did she look like? Did they have a child? Questions kept popping up in her mind until she sensed a slight, but noticeable difference in the tone of the sage's voice.

"But the eyes I'm going to try to give you are the Tenseigan, the Reincarnation Eye." Arya felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine, as if the very name of the eye triggered some kind of instinctual fear and awe.

Composing herself, Arya squashed the slight unease she had felt as she asked, "And just what is the Tenseigan?"

Naruto lifted his free hand to his chin at the question as he remembered the last time he fought off Toneri Ōtsutsuki. " _Man, that was a good fight. Wish there will be more like that sometime,_ " thought Naruto, recalling each of the abilities Toneri showed.

"I actually don't know the full prowess of the Tenseigan and I suspect no one else does, but from what I saw the last time I fought its last user… _hesortofslicedthemooninhalf_ ," said Naruto as he rushed through the last part.

Arya just gave a blank-eyed stare only a blind person could give. "Love…what was that about the moon?"

Naruto just sighed as his admittedly weak attempt to hide the full capabilities of the eyes failed. "The last time we fought, Toneri was able to slice the moon in half, after which Sasuke, the one who gave me my eyes, was forced to patch it up so that one of the halves wouldn't come down on our planet and wipe out most of life. And that's just one of its abilities; there just have been no documentation or records about the feats these eyes could perform."

"And when exactly will I ever need the power of slicing up moons in half?" asked Arya, wondering how exactly she never noticed the moon being divided in two.

"To be honest, I hope you never need this power, and you probably never will if you decide to stay in Alagaesia, although it would make me feel better knowing that there would be nothing capable of harming you unless you allowed it. But on the chance you do decide to come with me, there might come a day where yes, moon-destroying attacks might be necessary. I might be, no…I am the strongest being on this planet, but outside…"

Naruto pointed towards the ceiling of the cabin, but Arya held no illusion of what he meant. "Outside, I don't know what kind of beings, monsters, or even other gods we will eventually face, and right now, I don't want to say it, but you are too weak and even with your eternal lifespan, there will be a limit your power can reach on your lonesome. But with the Tenseigan, we will stand as equals once you fully master them. But know this, the process to awakening them…will make the pain of having your eyes burned out seem like a pinprick in comparison."

Naruto paused for a second before speaking his final piece. "However, if you rather not have the eyes implanted, I can instead regenerate your old eyes and no one would notice the difference."

With that, Naruto shut his mouth as the sound of faraway explosions and yells filled the air. He didn't want to say these things to Arya, but in order to protect her, she had to know what power level she had to be if she wanted to truly be together with him. If in the end she chose to part ways, he would not begrudge her of that decision, but if she chose to stay, he had to be honest of what kind of opponents they might need to face.

" _It hurts. It hurts that Naruto of all people would point out how weak I am._ " Arya frowned at Naruto's words, but she knew deep inside of her…she agreed. " _Although I know that he loves me, and I him, despite the huge gulf in power between us, it does not change the fact that in the grand scheme of things…I am weak. I wasn't even able to defeat Vaurag without getting blinded._ "

Arya wryly chuckled to herself as she came to a decision of a lifetime. Funny how that worked; it seemed as if she was making a lot of those recently.

Clearing her throat, Arya told her decision, "Implant the Tenseigan." Hearing her answer, Naruto nodded as he gently pushed her back down onto the table while unscrewing the lid that held his wife's eyes.

Naruto paused when a light honey-colored arm shot forward and grabbed a fistful of his flak jacket. Looking down, Naruto was met with a sight that made him swear that even without her eyes, Arya seemed to see right through him.

"Oh, and Naruto? Wherever you go…I go." The God of Shinobi froze at that, before carefully placing the jar back on the table and sweeping up the second woman who he, despite everything, came to admire and love into his arms. He didn't say anything, but the way he held her left little to no doubt of what he was currently feeling, and Arya knew that. Instead, she just laid her chin on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth and security his hugs always brought her.

Once the moment passed, Naruto unwillingly let her go as he once again placed her flat against the table. "Arya-hime, I'm going to restrain you so you don't hurt yourself, so don't be alarmed." Half a second later, wooden tendrils grew from the table as they secured the elf's arms, legs, chest, and neck.

Done with the preparations, Naruto brought over the pair of Byakugan to Arya's empty eye sockets, making sure to place them iris-side out – that would have been a problem – before moving back.

" **Ugh, about time you walking meat bags finally start the operation. I was about to vomit just seeing you two go all mushy…bleh.** " Kurama made a gagging noise as Naruto started to glow a solid golden-yellow, his once azure eyes now a bright red orange with a thick horizontal bar crossed over a slit for pupils. Instantly a heavy, yet warm and inviting chakra saturated the Kamui dimension, causing a rare lull of complete silence as the Naruto clones all paused their training to look in the direction of the cabin.

" **No matter how many times I see it, it never ceases to amaze me just how powerful mere humans could become.** " Kurama sighed as felt the potent aura his friend was giving off.

Arya, on the other hand, gasped she felt the six paths chakra hit her. It was powerful. It was almost suffocating. But most of all… _it was marvelous_. Unknowingly, her tensed muscles relaxed as she immersed herself in the chakra before she felt a slight twinge in her eyes.

" _Wait…eyes?_ "

When Arya was lost in his aura, Naruto had directed the hand that held the sun mark over her eyes, carefully regenerating _only_ the optic nerve. It wouldn't do to completely regenerate her old eye; that would be, for lack of a better term…troublesome. Luckily, his wife's eyes were of similar size to Arya's old ones, making his task easier without that little detail in the way. Several seconds passed before he took away his hand from her trembling eyelids.

The moment he did, he quickly placed them back down, preventing Arya from opening her new eyes. Before she could protest, Naruto murmured, "Wait Arya, the operation is not done. There's still converting the Byakugan to the Tenseigan."

Hearing the reason, Arya quickly stopped trying to open her eyes, but immediately tensed when she heard Naruto's next sentence.

"Brace yourself, this is where it hurts."

In order for a Byakugan to be turned into the Tenseigan, first it had to be of utmost purity. Then it needed to be exposed to Ōtsutsuki chakra. Finally, the eyes had to be implanted in a host of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

The Byakugan that was once touched by the chakra of Hamura Ōtsutsuki already fulfilled the first two conditions, but it still could not be awakened into the Tenseigan unless it was combined with a body that carried the Ōtsutsuki blood.

This was obviously a problem since neither Arya nor Naruto were of the clan.

At least not completely.

After sealing Kaguya into him, Naruto constantly experienced body-wracking pain that was only made bearable by the presence of the Juubi. There were two reasons behind the pain: one was because his body was forcibly adapting to the infinitely greater chakra reserves of both the Juubi and Kaguya, but also…because of the constant genetic modifications that sprang up due to having the Mother of all Chakra in him.

Due to her chakra constantly being filtered through the Hakke no Fūin Shiki, his body kept trying to modify itself to better suit the Ōtsutsuki chakra that became one with him. Fearful that this could lead to Naruto becoming Kaguya over time, Kurama and the blond decided to continuously 'heal' and store away these genetic changes in a special storage seal on top of his heart. But tearing away the DNA that changed and then reverting it back to the original caused unbelievable pain – pain that Naruto felt for over half a century.

After he left the Elemental Nations, Naruto held what could be considered as pure Ōtsutsuki DNA…DNA that he planned on merging with Arya using a jutsu that Orochimaru - as much as he disliked the guy there was no denying he was a genius in genetics - devised a way to transfer and flawlessly merge any bloodline with another person.

The catch was that said person must not possess any sort of special bloodline.

To be honest, the chances of Hinata's Byakugan evolving into the Tenseigan were lower than 20%, even with the pure Ōtsutsuki DNA from Kaguya. But he had to try, because on the off chance it worked, Arya would have a dōjutsu rivalling that of the Rinnegan and he could rest easier, knowing that his love possessed a nigh unbeatable power.

With a puff of smoke, Naruto unsealed what looked to be a small blood-red ruby and placed it on top of Arya's forehead.

" _Well, here goes nothing._ " With a final glance towards Kurama who readied himself in case something went wrong, Naruto slowly went through over a hundred seals, not trusting himself to do it correctly at a faster speed. With each seal that went by, Arya clawed at the table, creating small furrows in the chakra enhanced wood as the small crystal seemed to melt and seep into her forehead. Finally, after the 137th seal, Naruto touched his palm to where the crystallized DNA once was.

"Hijutsu: Kekkai Genkai Norikaeru!"

For a second, nothing happened.

Then the screaming started.

Arya, who had endured the worst of mental and physical tortures devised by the sadistic Shade Durza. The elf maiden who had survived well over a human lifetime of fighting in skirmishes and battles numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The Shadeslayer who killed the strongest Shade in history, only uttering a short cry after being blinded in both eyes by Vaurag, was screaming out in pain.

Nothing could have prepared her for the agony that felt as if every fiber of her being was being doused in molten lava. But in the small part of her mind that retained clarity, she could feel the body she knew so well after a century of constantly training it slowly change.

Muscles that were originally three times denser than the most fit human grew even denser, far surpassing those of any elf alive or dead.

Nerves that gave the elves their famed reflexes, sharpened to the point of being able to react to hypersonic threats.

Chakra reserves that bordered on high-jonin, shot upwards as her chakra pathways grew thicker and stronger, allowing her chakra to increase in both volume and circulation speed.

But it was the outside changes that caught Naruto's eye.

Slowly the vibrant olive skin started to give way to pale, creamy skin that reminded him so much of Hinata's as a few tresses of midnight black hair turned platinum white, giving the already exotic elf an even more striking and enchanting appearance than she had before.

Soon seconds turned to minutes. Minutes steadily turned to hours.

Gradually, the pain that coursed through Arya's body began to lessen starting in the second hour. Instead of the burning lava sensation, she felt as if she was instead stranded in the largest desert of Alagaesia – the Hadarac Desert – without any food or water underneath the cruel midday sun.

By the third hour, most of the pain had subsided, allowing Arya to reclaim most of her mind that was once lost to the sheer pain. At the moment, all she could do was twitch a finger there, a toe there. But never before had she felt so powerful!

Finally, when the fourth hour rolled by, Arya felt as if she had full access to her body. But before she could attempt to, her mind…no, her eyes felt as if they were once again being boiled from within by Vaurag's final spell.

Pearl white teeth bit down hard on naturally red lips, causing blood to flow as Arya stifled a scream, unknowingly breaking through the wooden tendrils around her arms that would have easily held down Eragon to clutch at the hand that still covered her eyes.

A small grunt of discomfort made its way out of Naruto as Arya squeezed down on his hand, producing a few creaking sounds that honestly surprised him. Even though he was still heavily sealed and not actively circulating chakra through his body, it seemed unbelievable that Arya – who could barely leave a mark of any kind even if she used her entire chakra enhanced strength before the procedure – was able to almost bruise his bones that could come out of punching a mountain down unscathed with her mere grip.

Arya's struggles only seemed to increase until finally, she could not hold back the shriek of pain that tore through her throat as the restraints around her legs shattered.

"Kurama, a little help here!" yelled out Naruto, not daring to use any of his chakra modes in fear of further altering her genetic structure, as he used one hand to continue covering Arya's eyes and the other one to pin her arms above her head.

" **Tch, can't even deal with your own woman,** " snarked Kurama, which elicited a small growl from Naruto, before two of his tails shot out to restrain the thrashing elf maiden. The fox was about to get in another snide comment when his red eyes suddenly widened at the feeling of his tails almost being dislodged. Instantly, the other eight tails wrapped around the entirety of Arya, rendering her more secure than a trussed up chicken.

" **I take back my words, your mate is going to be quite the fighter, brat.** "

"She already is old friend. But now," Naruto smiled when his eyes picked up the vast stores of chakra that she now possessed as well as a signature in her eyes that he had only seen once before. "Now she will be…more."

Feeling her body still, Naruto slowly lifted his hand that kept her eyes shut. Bijuu and jinchūriki looked on with bated breath as translucent eyelids weakly fluttered like the small wings of a moth.

And like all moths that are inevitably drawn to the flame, so two were the orbs that lay a millimeter from the light.

With a final push, Arya used the last of her mental strength to open her eyes.

With a final tremble, eyes that hadn't seen the light of day for over a quarter of a century snapped open…

…and saw.

Notes:

Shōsen Jutsu – Mystical Palm Technique

Rikudō Sennin Mōdo – Six Paths Sage Mode

Hakke no Fūin Shiki – Eight Trigrams Sealing Style

Hijutsu: Kekkai Genkai Norikaeru – Secret Jutsu: Bloodline Transfer


	58. Metamorphosis

Chapter 58

Color.

That was the first thing Arya noticed when her eyes opened. As an elf, her eyesight was naturally superior to those of any human, Rider or not.

Anything that seemed washed-out to a human she saw with vibrancy.

Anything that was unclear either close by or in the distance, she saw with utmost clarity.

However, all of this paled to what she could see now in her surroundings. Or more specifically, who.

Ever since, and even before, they became close, Arya had burned the very image of Naruto into her mind to the point she could have easily described him in great detail: spiky saffron hair that looked like spun sunlight, lively cerulean eyes that gleamed of both mischief and wisdom, chiseled muscles that she had never directly seen but could easily tell through his clothes, his six signature whisker marks, and finally that smile that always sent a warm feeling flood her inner self were but a few of the details she remembered.

But the sight of Naruto now caused her to unintentionally gasp; it was like the very sun was burning in all of its glory just a foot away, if said sun was made up of a multitude of colors.

Ocean blue.

Blazing red.

Pale green.

Vibrant brown.

Electrifying yellow.

And colors she could not identify, but which made them all the more striking. The way they combined to form new colors and yet retain their personality…there was just no words for it.

But even deeper beneath that ocean, she could see these stunning tints were further overshadowed by just the sheer…liveliness behind them. They didn't stay static like paints that could be drawn onto a canvas. No, they pulsed and flowed around what she could now identify as organs while each having their own personality. They were alive and that's when she came to the realization.

"So...this is chakra."

xXx

As Arya lost herself in the wonders of chakra, Naruto and Kurama both took a closer look at the legendary eye said to be equal to the Rinnegan.

"Beautiful," muttered Naruto as his breath hitched while staring into the Tenseigan that continued to look at and into him.

Naruto had always found Arya's forest green eyes and its tiny gold flecks stunning; they were easily one of her most attractive physical traits. But even they paled when compared to her new eyes: vibrant emerald green tightly surrounded pale golden lotus patterns that seemed to contain their own inner illumination and bloomed around a dark jade pupil. For some reason, the he felt...closer than before, as if the chakra within him finally found its other half, as if in over a thousand years, they were finally reunited into one. But before they could indulge in the feeling, a certain fox made himself known.

" **Ugh, you two lovebirds are already eye-sucking each other. Why don't the two of you just mate already?** " Kurama interrupted as he unwrapped his tails from Arya.

That snapped Arya out of her daze as she quickly looked away from Naruto while blushing crimson in embarrassment…only to realize that she could still see Naruto.

" _So this is what Naruto meant by near 360º sight. Just this ability alone would cause warriors all over the land to kill each other to obtain it, and to think that's the least of its powers. Amazing._ " Arya sighed as Naruto, after taking away the hands that held her arms down, simply turned around before punting the miniaturized fox through the wall and into the sky.

" **NA~RU~TOOOOO! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BRAT!** " roared out a voice that caused the rest of the cabin to destabilize and fall to pieces as a dark shadow covered both Naruto and Arya.

"Whatever, we'll have our fight later. For now though, I want to see what Arya-hime can now do with her new body and eyes." Naruto yelled back at the giant kitsune who merely grumbled before turning away, intent on finding an outlet for his frustration: namely a certain black dragon who Naruto could see was currently visiting his unhatched siblings. A quick prayer slipped past his lips.

" _Poor Asura, may you rest in peace._ "

A few miles away, Asura suddenly shivered as he whipped his head back forth, searching for the reason behind his sudden unease. When he looked down the mental link with Naruto, his flaming eyes widened as he hurriedly leapt into the air to take flight, only for the entirety of his body to be wrapped in a burnt orange tail that appeared above him.

" **Oh no you don't, baby lizard; you're not going anywhere. I believe it's time to up your training…** " cackled Kurama as he dangled Asura in midair while swiftly moving towards a more open area to begin 'training'.

Once more, another shout, more mournful than the first, rang out throughout the Kamui dimension, "NARUTOOOO WHHhhyyy…" before dying away as the two disappeared in the distance.

After giving a final prayer to his dragon, Naruto turned back to Arya.

"Are you alright Arya? You had me worried back there." Naruto asked, remembering when her body seemed just a hair from bursting from the inside out, as he held out a hand.

Glancing at the outstretched hand, Arya started to reach for it when saw something that shocked her.

"My skin…what happened?" whispered the elf as she gazed at her now fair skin that covered her hands and arms. Last she checked, an eye implant didn't change the skin color of other parts of the body…

 _"And now that I think about it..._ " Quietly reaching up towards the top of her battle-worn armor, Arya sneakily peeked downwards as she slightly pulled it away from her suddenly tight chest, only to widen her eyes in shock before allowing her scaled leather cuirass to swiftly snap back into place. Quickly glancing out of the corner of her eye and seeing Naruto's eyes closed, she silently brought her hands up before giving her swelled chest and hips a quick squeeze to confirm her growing suspicions.

"... _Not only is my skin paler, but even those are_ _larger. You better have a good explanation for this Naruto._ " The corner of Arya's eye twitched as she snapped her attention back to his explanation, impatiently awaiting for him to begin.

Meanwhile and completely unaware of the nosebleed inducing events occurring not a foot away from him, Naruto sighed, his eyes closed, as he began to explain what exactly went during the procedure. "As you know, in the first part of the process I implanted the Byakugan into your eye sockets and then regenerated the optic nerve."

Arya nodded as she clearly remembered the first twinge that happened within minutes after placing the Byakugan within her eye sockets.

Seeing she remembered, Naruto went onto the part that he didn't mention earlier. "However, one of the requirements to awakening the Tenseigan is that the Byakugan must be combined with the body of an Ōtsutsuki clan member. Your body is obviously not that of an Ōtsutsuki, and so I used a jutsu to merge your genes with those of a pure member of the Ōtsutsuki clan. That was the reason behind the searing pain that lasted for hours. Your body was adapting to the foreign DNA; denser muscles, faster reflexes, and larger chakra reserves."

"So that is the reason why I feel so much stronger than ever before. And if I'm not wrong, these… Ōtsutsuki members must have been characterized with fair skin and white hair. _'_ _A_ _nd apparently larger assets, not that I'll admit that to him'_ ," replied Arya as she played with a lock of white hair she just discovered.

"Yup, at least that was the case of the Ōtsutsuki member I took the DNA from," said Naruto as he glossed over the exact details of how he got the DNA; he didn't want Arya to worry over him and his other tenant.

However, something seemed to tip Arya off as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Having seen that look before, Naruto hurriedly created a reflective ice mirror with a flick of his fingers in front of the elf, allowing her to fully view herself for the first time.

Floral patterned eyes widened with wonder as Arya reached out to the mirror, not even bothering with the intense cold that emanated from the icy construct. Pale fingers traced over the golden lotus designs of the Tenseigan that stared back at her.

Peeking his head around the side of the mirror, Naruto flashed a foxy smile as he once again held a hand. "Well, ready to see what your new body and eyes can do?"

Turning away from the ice mirror that melted away into the floor, Arya firmly grasped his hand while looking him full in the eyes, "Most definitely."

But as Arya slid off the table, she seemed to have forgotten that her body wasn't her old body and while much stronger, was just strapped to a table and exposed to literal body-ripping pain - not to mention noticeably more top and bottom heavy than before. And so with a small stumble, Arya tripped forward, almost falling to her knees if not for Naruto's steady hands, before sinking head first into Naruto's midsection.

Now normally this was a rather innocent position, with it being awkward at worst. But coupled with eyes that could see right through clothes and a downwards angle…

Simply put...not so innocent.

Eyes bulging, blood rushed to the roots of her hair as Arya blushed a crimson that was further emphasized by her now fair skin and would have put a tomato to shame as small puffs of steam started to come out of her pointed ears.

Now Arya was not some naïve princess who stayed locked away from the world; she was first and foremost a warrior of the highest caliber amongst her people and had been long since exposed to the dark truths of the world. Plus, as the chosen carrier of Saphira's egg and ambassador to the Varden, she had seen the bodies of more than a few partially and fully naked men – human, dwarf, and even elf – while passing through the army.

But not once did she ever have a reaction like the one she was currently having when peeking through Naruto's clothes. Upon the sight of his perfectly-proportioned sculpted muscles and…large package, her battle-hardened mind just blanked, only to restart upon hearing his voice.

"Arya-hime, are you alright? Your temperature seems to be rising and your…ah, I see." Naruto's voice trailed off as he realized the _very_ familiar symptoms that he had seen many times from a certain heiress combined with the same downward glancing and active x-ray eyes.

" _Oh my, it seems I'll have to reactivate that seal._ " Naruto sighed as he triggered the decades old seal that blocked any of the great dōjutsus from reading his chakra or in the case of Byakugan, its ability to see through solid objects.

Somewhere, he knew a certain tall, white-haired old man with iron getas was laughing and dancing his head off while furiously scribbling in a notebook. " _Damned pervert._ " Naruto cursed fondly as memories of his godfather ran through his mind before looking back down at Arya, who by now noticed something.

Blinking at the sudden shielding against her newfound x-ray vision, Arya raised her reddened face, only to be confronted with a smirk that relayed complete understanding.

"Sooooo princess, see anything interesting?" Naruto drawled in a playful tone, unable to resist teasing Arya who usually gave off a cool beauty vibe – although that was quickly changing upon spending more time with her other half – as he laid his hands on top of his hips.

Whatever red that had faded in that time came back with a vengeance as Arya's cheeks glowed blood red, mortified that her unintentional peeping was caught and at his insinuation.

"Yes…I-I mean n-no, of course not," stuttered a completely flushed elf princess as she sought to hide her face behind her hands, wishing for the ground to swallow her up if only to hide away her shame. However, a loud laugh interrupted her turtling, causing her to lower her hands as she watched the blond shaking with mirth.

Slowly, a large tic mark formed on Arya's forehead as she pulled herself together before coughing into her hand. "Naruto, I do not see the reason," Naruto merely raised an eyebrow before shooting her a ' _really?_ ' look that made her sigh in exasperation before admitting, "Fine, I _do_ see the reason why what I said and did was amusing, but do you really have to laugh so hard?"

Naruto's only response was to widen his grin. Seeing that, Arya simply rolled her new eyes before stomping away towards one of the mountains in the distance, only to almost trip again before quickly regaining her usual elegance. Once confident in her new body, the elf settled for a dead sprint, soon becoming a black and white blur.

"Huh, I swear there's something else that's different about her..." Quizzically glancing at her quickly disappearing back, Naruto shrugged before following up from behind, noting the rips and tears that first marked her leather armor were slowly regenerating. " _It would seem her armor has been enchanted with a spell to self-repair. But now that I think about it…_ " Naruto mused while drawing level with Arya.

"Hey Arya, is there a reason why you only seem to wear your armor? Even back in Ellesméra, in your very home, I've never see you wear anything more casual," wondered Naruto, curious of why he had never seen her outside of her black leather armor.

Slowing down, Arya's delicate lips formed a firm line as she remembered that particular event; now that she thought about the reason after all these years, it was quite embarrassing. "When I was younger and first received the yawë, my mother Islanzadí disapproved of my decision. She thought it too rash and dangerous and worried for my safety to the point she almost ordered me, if I remember correctly, to 'stop this foolishness and stay at my side, or I will make sure you never step a foot outside Du Weldenvarden ever again."

Naruto looked away as he uttered a soft 'huh' when he heard that. When he met Islanzadí a few hours ago, he had gathered that the queen of the elves might be a bit of an overprotective parent – hell, he would have been if he had kids – but he didn't think she would go so far as to try and essentially chain her daughter to her side. Then again, Islanzadí did express regret he knew to be genuine.

Turning back Naruto was about to relay his conversation with her mother, only for his eyes to widen in surprise upon seeing an expression he knew very well, but never expected to see on her of all people.

"After that, I swore in the ancient language to never be seen without my armor on as a way of…let's see, showing my rebellious teenage side." Arya smiled sheepishly as she recalled her younger years before her relationship with her mother withered.

Naruto shook his head in amusement, both surprised and yet somehow unsurprised the woman next to him would do such a rash thing, before blinking. "Wait…teenage? Just how young were you when this happened Arya?"

Tapping her chin, Arya thought for a moment before answering, "I was quite young when I received the yawë – only thirty years old in fact."

Naruto blinked once.

Then...thrice.

Then five times.

A dust cloud plumed up as Naruto abruptly face planted into the ground in shock before jerkily rolling back onto his feet. Arya merely paused as she watched him clumsily recover in amusement; the corner of her mouth quirked up into an impish smile as she watched him dust off his clothes while recuperating from her 'unexpected' answer. So many times she had been on the receiving end by the blond that it was nice to see him so flustered for a change.

Only for her to be blindsided when Naruto, refusing to be outdone by her, cheekily wriggled his saffron eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Well, I guess I have another reason to end the war, if only to see you out of that restricting armor _Arya-hime._ " The dark sensual tone used used with the low growl added to her name did things to Arya that never happened before; a blazing heat emerged from her lower belly and rushed throughout her body, causing her pupils to dilate and heart to furiously pound. Attempting to hide her sudden arousal, the elf sputtered as she swatted at the blond, only for Naruto to dance away before he returned to her side with a wide grin.

Seeing that there was no comeback, Arya pouted as she turned away, her neck still red from embarrassment. Refusing to talk any further with the playful blond, the two soon slowed to a halt on a plain a mile away from the first of many snow-capped mountains that towered over them, casting the both in its cool shade.

Walking a few more steps away from Arya, Naruto summoned the white Rider sword he had taken from Galbatorix, noting how oddly…perfect the grip and balance felt in his hand. In fact, now that he took a second look at it, the sword that was once wielded by the mad king had an almost completely different look to it: a slightly wider hilt to better fit his larger hands and a slimmer, but longer blade to offset the difference in mass of the larger hilt. The only aspect of the sword which remained constant was the flawlessly clear jewel that glimmered on the end of the pommel.

" _Could it be...?_ " Curious whether his emerging theory was correct, Naruto took one last look at the ancient blade before tossing it over to Arya.

"Hey, Arya…catch!" Not even bothering to turn her head, the elf caught the sword by its hilt in midair without visibly looking. However, Naruto knew better.

" _Hmmm, to think she's already used to the Tenseigan and its disorienting 359º sight…or has she already learned to only focus her view in one direction? I remember when Hinata first awoke them, she said she needed to stay in pitch darkness for a whole day and night before she grew used to them. Either way, impressive._ " Naruto observed as he unsealed yet another blade, except this one dwarfed the other, almost passing for a giant slab of iron with an killer edge while Arya brought the first ever Rider's sword to her eyes, taking in its make and design.

It was obviously a Rider's sword, there was no doubt about this. From its peerlessly sharp edge and the spells that weaved along its length, to the glossy finish of its mono-colored blade, no other weapon in the history of Alagaesia had the same characteristics as the one she held in her hands. But there was something else about this sword that made it...different from all others; even amongst Dragon Rider swords, not many were white, and among those, only one carried such lustrous purity, only one glowed with a radiance that could put the heart of a mountain to shame. Could it be...?

"Where…no, how did you get this sword? Or are my eyes deceiving me?" Arya muttered in astonishment before her forehead furrowed when she noticed the slight, but significant differences between the blade recorded in numerous texts and the one in her palms.

However, her eyebrows jumped up when she noticed the once uncomfortably large grip was quickly growing narrower to better suit her smaller hands. Although the double-sided blade stayed the same length, the thin blade narrowed even further until its edge grew thinner than paper, a shape almost impossible by human or even elven standards of forging.

Meanwhile, Naruto watched with fascinated rippled eyes, having long activated his Rinne-Sharingan, as he observed words in the ancient language that once laid hidden came to life, blazing with such an intensity it eclipsed the sun itself; he was surprised they remained hidden to the ordinary eye. No doubt, judging from how Arya squinted, she too could witness the same changes he could.

Once the process was done, the sword that once belonged to Galbatorix had transformed into a simple and elegant, but nevertheless deadly hand-and-half sword with a leaf-shaped blade that ended in a wicked point perfect for piercing through armored flesh. But that was not all. Instead of the pale bleached bone color that once defined the weapon, Vrangr seemed to pulse with an inner light not unlike the brightest of stars, giving credence to its original name – Islingr.

Holding the altered blade in her hands, Arya raked her eyes up and down its length, admiring how the sword seemed to catch and absorb the light around them and just how _right_ it felt in her hand, even more so than her personally forged elven sword.

Spinning the sword in her right hand, she marveled at its feather-like lightness, no doubt a result of the perfect balance she had earlier noted with her Tenseigan; there was not a single scrap of extra metal, wood, or leather to offset it.

Placing her left hand near the pommel, Arya suddenly twisted about like a snake, stabbing and slicing at invisible enemies, displaying her incredible skill and flexibility as she ran through the forms of her swordsmanship. Off to the side, Naruto looked on in admiration at her figure. Although he was by no means a master of the sword – he was getting better at it though through their spars – he had seen enough kenjutsu masters during his time as a shinobi to know that Arya, even without the full access to her chakra for the past century, had refined the skill to a deadly art form.

" _So I was correct – the first ever Rider sword created by Rhunön has an extra hidden function: an ability to uniquely conform into the best form possible for its user. I wonder what other secrets are in that sword?"_ Though Naruto could see the thousands upon thousands of words intricately woven about the blade, there were many whose meanings he could not understand even with his knowledge in the ancient language. There were many words even the elves, never mind Arya, had forgotten over the years, words that appeared only in the most ancient of texts and now here.

He even had his doubts whether Rhunön truly forged this wonder.

" _But enough of this, let's see what she can do._ " Naruto thought as he swung the zanbatō which once belonged to the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza.

However, he had underestimated Arya's wonder at the revered sword of the first rider. Seeing his lover still lost in familiarizing herself with the white sword, Naruto coughed loudly in hopes of gaining her attention.

It didn't work.

Glancing at the giant beheading blade in his hand, the sage sighed in exasperation before swinging it down on Arya with enough force to blow a crater in the ground.

…Only to have it firmly blocked by a slim snowy blade. Following that, a shockwave boomed across the plain as it flattened the grass around them.

"How impressive Arya-hime, I knew you were stronger, but to not even flinch under my attack…" Naruto praised as Arya held back the giant blade with apparent ease.

"Oh? And you could not just, let's see…call out to me like a normal person?!" A muscle spasmed in her jaw as Arya sent a strand of chakra into her arms before flinging away both Naruto and, from her perspective, the giant piece of metal away. chuckling at her righteous outburst, Naruto flipped a few dozen feet away before landing back on his feet.

"And just what exactly is that blade of yours?" called out Arya, unsheathing and tossing her previous sword to Naruto, who promptly locked it away in one of his storage seals. Settling into a stance, she pointed the tip of Islingr towards the blond.

"Oh this?" Naruto bounced the the large sword on his shoulder as he assumed a one-handed sword stance, the blade of Kubikiribōchō resting on his back. "This is Kubikiribōchō, or the Decapitating Carving Knife, sword of Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist. But enough of the questions, shall we get started?"

"That is NOT a knife." Arya muttered, eyeing the circular cutouts that she now could see were ideal for beheading with understandable caution, her Tenseigan glowing – the faint golden lotus patterns beginning to rotate around her pupil – only to cock her head in surprise when she realized that she could see through his body once again.

Naruto didn't miss the gesture.

"Ah, I figure that if we're going to test what you can do, it's not exactly fair if I take away one of your advantages. Now, let's go!" Digging his feet into the soil, Naruto shot out in a blur with a single-handed overhead swing directed towards her head, only for it to bite deeply into the soft grass as Arya nimbly dodged to the right, her sword trailing by her side. In a single swift motion, she smoothly unleashed a slash at his torso, no doubt aiming to bisect her opponent.

Widening his eyes at the sheer speed of both her dodge and counterattack, Naruto hastily used his momentum to flip over the strike that would have cleaved him from hip to shoulder as Islingr whistled just millimeters from his right arm that held the executioner's blade. With a tug, Naruto unearthed Kubikiribōchō to sweep towards her unguarded back…

…only to grunt in surprise when a certain blade suddenly pierced down in front of the semicircle gap near the hilt of Kubikiribōchō, halting the cleaver in its tracks as Arya turned to face Naruto who by then had landed back on his feet.

For several seconds, neither combatant moved due to their locked blades: neither willing to back down first. As both Naruto and Arya sent increasing force through their weapon of choice, their connected blades shivered and screeched as they ground against each other.

However, the tenuous balance broke when Naruto saw the thin blade beginning to slice through Kubikiribōchō despite his chakra reinforcing its blade.

" _Kami, she's so much stronger than before, and she's barely using any chakra to bolster her strength!_ " Under his 150x resistance and chakra seals, Naruto finally couldn't resist any longer and allowed himself to be tossed aside, once again flipping through the air to land on his feet.

Silence filled the air as Naruto and Arya stared at each other, one in pride and the other in disbelief. Throughout all of their training sessions and spars, not once was the fair elf ever able to push the blond back or overpower him in any way, whether through chakra or physical means.

But now...

Breaking off, Arya shifted her eyes to her hands and the sword that was nearly the same color as her new skin with a sense of wonder. " _Finally, I have the power to stand by his side,_ " thought Arya as she gripped her hand into a fist, determined to grow even stronger and find out all of the secrets hidden in her body and eyes.

On the other side, Naruto patiently waited for Arya to come out of her reverie as he idly traced one of the many seals that were specially inked onto his body. " _At this rate, I'll need to release some of my seals just to keep up, if this is but the surface of what she can do._ " With a small pulse of chakra, the 150x resistance seals that constrained his every movement were lowered to 120x: while a seemingly insignificant difference, it already allowed him a much greater degree of movement and strength.

Despite glancing away from Naruto, Arya never let him out of her sight. So when she caught the small pulse of chakra he emitted as well as the relaxing of his muscles, it didn't take long for the sharp elf to realize what happened. Silently treading to the right, she began to circle about the blond, analyzing and taking in his every move.

"I see you released some of your limiters, Naruto."

Naruto nonchalantly shrugged. "Well, combined with your master swordsmanship and drastically increased physical power, I can't very well fight you or even push you to your limits in my current state." Cracking his neck, he hefted Kubikiribōchō over his shoulder, once again settling in a one-handed stance before shooting a completely innocent grin. "Besides, now I can show you jutsus related to your elements without worrying about you getting hurt…too badly.

A massive sweat-drop ran down her forehead as Arya instantly saw through that 'innocent' smile of his.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" Arya sighed as she held Islingr in both hands.

"...I have no idea what you're talking about." And with that, Naruto abruptly vanished before appearing behind Arya, Kubikiribōchō already sweeping towards her neck.

In the past, whenever Naruto shunshin'd, neither Arya nor Eragon could keep up, let alone predict his nearly imperceptible movements.

" _But now_ ," Arya ducked underneath while spinning to thrust at Naruto's chest, "But now I see you!"

With a clash, Naruto moved the flat side of Kubikiribōchō in the way of the pale sword, using it as a makeshift shield before catching and pushing aside her next few stabs with the curved gap of his sword. Realizing how effective the giant blade was as a shield, Arya slashed out one more time before stepping to the side in an attempt to get past the makeshift shield.

Seeing her try to maneuver around him, Naruto took advantage of the small opening by spinning the giant blade as if it were as light as a feather before slamming it back down on Arya at a speed and force he believed to be beyond what she could react to.

Only to be surprised again when she managed to once again block his strike, although this time he noted how her knuckles further whitened around the hilt as she strained to fully stave off his attack. Shoving off Kubikiribōchō, Arya and Naruto engaged in a steely dance, their blows flattening and carving their surroundings with every clash of their blades.

Minutes passed as Naruto attacked from every angle possible, whether it be from behind, above, or even below as he tested her reaction time to unusual attacks. To his surprise and delight, Arya was able to repel or dodge every single one of them and even manage to scratch his skin. Ever since his ascension as the Jinchūriki of the Jūbi, other than the time Fäolin impaled him over a month ago, almost nothing was capable of harming him in the slightest. So it spoke volumes when Arya managed to harm him with casual blows of her sword, all without the use of chakra enhancement to the blade itself.

Satisfied with the results, Naruto decided it was time to change gears. With a burst of chakra into his arms, Arya's eyes widened when she caught its sudden surge, immediately sending her own rush of chakra into her arms in an attempt to match his force.

But it was too late; the timing Naruto had sent chakra into his hands and arms proved impeccable to the point that even the time it took to strengthen her limbs with chakra proved too long. Realizing this, Arya hardened her guard against the rising swing, opting instead to reinforce her entire body to weather the blow as she was literally batted hundreds of feet into the air.

Air whooshed from her lungs as Arya stared wide-eyed at her new predicament; she didn't know whether she was capable of withstanding the tremendous force of falling hundreds of feet. Flailing around, the elf looked for anything to Kawarimi with: a stone, tree, her old sword…she was starting to regret not just throwing it down on the ground. No, the only two things left to possibly replace herself with was the mountain in the distance, an already ridiculous notion...or Naruto himself.

Now that she thought about it, " _The mountain would probably be easier..._ " The sheer amount and density of chakra within that body of his, he might as well be a planet contained in an attractive six foot and three inches frame.

But this was neither the time nor place for thoughts like that.

500…400…300…200…100…50 feet…her velocity soon reached a gut-wrenching speed as the wind whistled in her sensitive ears, and still she didn't have a plan for getting out of her situation without anything broken. She could use magic to slow her descent, but she immediately ruled that option out; doing such a thing would undermine the whole point of the spar and would leave her with more disappointment than if she tried to lessen the damage by attempting to redirect her momentum.

Other than those two options, the only other one was to either throw Islingr at the ground and then Kawarimi with it – which would leave her defenseless and at the mercy of Naruto – or create a large number of Kage Bunshins to soften her landing…which would still take a large amount of chakra.

"I guess there is no other choice," sighed Arya as she sheathed Islingr within the loop of her belt before starting to draw up the necessary chakra for several clones. But just as she was about to cross her fingers for the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ , the chakra she had gathered suddenly rushed to her eyes and for a moment she saw nothing but blinding white.

Panicking at the sudden loss of sight combined with the quickly approaching ground, Arya was about to draw more chakra when suddenly, three words made themselves known, blazing across her vision as if just begging for release. They were in an language unknown to her, and so she hesitated. But, with the ground swiftly approaching and her chakra constantly being drained into her eyes...

" _I don't really have much of a choice._ " Sighing, she made her decision.

Three words floated past her delicate lips.

 _And then the world stilled._

xXx

" _Maybe that wasn't the greatest of ideas._ "

By now, Naruto was frowning when he saw Arya still do nothing even after the halfway point between the sky and the ground. He had wanted to see what she would do and if possible, awaken one of the abilities of the mysterious Tenseigan. But once he saw her a mere 20 feet away from the ground, he prepared to use either Kawarimi or Amenotejikara to switch with Arya, only to pause when he saw her lips move.

He didn't need to hear her; due to his training, he was perfectly able to read her lips as they formed words that he instantly recognized as his own language and not any of the ones in Alagaesia.

" _Sravaka Arhat Path_!"

Naruto blinked before starting to grin as Arya, who was plummeting to the unforgiving the ground, suddenly come to a stop a mere foot from the earth, floating just as he saw Pein once do before he leveled Konoha. Remembering how Toneri was also able to fly about, Naruto activated his Rinne-Sharingan, wondering if the ability was more similar to the Rinnegan's than he initially thought.

Only to slightly frown when he realized that the way the chakra interacted with her was similar, but different enough from the way his did when tried out floating with his Deva Path. Instead of looking anything like either Shinra Tensei or Banshō Ten'in, the minuscule bright flecks of what he identified as pure Yang chakra behaved more like chakra during Magnet Release.

Shutting off his mystic eyes, Naruto wondered, " _So if it's not gravity manipulation, then what is it?_ "

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he saw Arya suddenly rush back up into the air while pulling out the bow she never used in their spars. Plucking three arrows from the quiver at her side, Arya quickly nocked and loosed them, her fingers a blur as she released the deadly bolts at a rate that the _twang_ of the bowstring rang out only once. Had Naruto been any other opponent, perhaps he would have died without knowing the cause.

But he wasn't. Though he admired her skill with a bow, neither the arrow nor the bow was powerful enough to even touch him, never mind harm him.

"Why are you doing this Arya-hime? Surely you should know that even your arrows are all but useless at this distance against me," muttered Naruto as he swatted the projectiles out of the sky, wondering what her goal was as she started to zip around him while firing arrows simultaneously.

As he continued to either knock down or block the arrows with Kubikiribōchō's considerable frame, Naruto mentally counted the number arrows that Arya shot at him, knowing that she only carried 30 at a time.

" _27…25…20…15…10…5…2...1_ " Not a single arrow managed to pierce through his defense as Naruto knew none would; it would be an insult to his years of training and to his various opponents if an arrow, even if they flew faster and harder than most of the kunai and shuriken thrown towards him, penetrated his defense.

"Now what will you do Arya?" murmured Naruto as he brought up Kubikiribōchō with two hands; the last few arrows actually managed to dent the blade, which surprised him considering how durable the cleaver was.

xXx

All the time she was bombarding Naruto from the sky, Arya never took her eyes off of him. Every muscle twitch, chakra burst, even eye twitch was captured and committed to memory as she continued the strategy she came up with on the fly: a strategy only possible because of two reasons.

First, she knew Naruto hadn't gotten a fight worthy of his full attention in what she could tell was decades; he was bound to be careless after the boring task of defending against 28 arrows.

Second, there was her newly unlocked power. After the words _Sravaka Arhat Path_ appeared before her, knowledge of the extensive ability flowed into her mind and as only one of the sharpest elves in Alagaesia, Arya quickly discovered several uses for it, although she knew that she only barely scratched the surface of what it could do.

Nocking her second to last arrow, Arya released it, intentionally using none of the power the Tenseigan gave her in order to further lower Naruto's guard, towards the circular gap near the end of Kubikiribōchō's length. As it traveled, Arya immediately loaded her last arrow, but this time released as much chakra she could bear through her eyes and into the arrow, which started to faintly glow gold and vibrate with increasing intensity.

" _This will be my last shot. After this, my chakra reserves will be depleted…hope he catches me after this,_ " thought Arya as she rocketed herself until she was directly above Naruto, cracks already starting to appear on the bow that she personally sung from the Menoa Tree and reinforced with several spells in the ancient language.

With a shout, Arya shot out what could only be described as a heavenly bolt down at the man who by now stared wide-eyed in astonishment at her as he hastily brought up Kubikiribōchō on top of him in an attempt to ward off the shot.

Her last thought as darkness tugged at the corners of her vision was, " _I really need to stop falling from high heights…_ " before allowing the blackness to take her.

xXx

Meanwhile, down on the ground…Naruto was currently enduring an attack that he never thought Arya was capable of so soon after awakening.

The instant he nudged Kubikiribōchō to the side to deflect her second to last arrow, he knew something was wrong. Why did her arrow suddenly feel so light when the previous ones only grew in strength?

Immediately, Naruto knew he was being fooled and cursed himself for getting careless against Arya of all people as he whipped his gaze to where he could feel a massive amount of chakra being emitted. Discovering that she was around 500 feet directly above him, his eyes widened when he saw the pulsing gold glow her last arrow was radiating, only to realize that it was already in mid-flight.

Sonic booms echoed out over the Kamui dimension as the sage barely managed to raise Kubikiribōchō in time to block the literal missile that was hurtling towards him…

…only for the Guillotine Sword to shatter into smithereens with only a small fraction of the blade still stuck to its hilt as the arrow pierced straight through it with barely a pause.

But it still gave the God of Shinobi enough time to drop the now useless hilt and directly grab onto the falling star, temporarily stopping it in its path.

For a few seconds, it seemed as if that was the end of it, but Naruto knew better. Even now he could feel the arrow starting to slip through his fingers as the very earth started to crater between the two. Groaning, Naruto could feel his bone, currently under 120x resistance and extensive chakra limiting seals, creak and rattle as he held back the attack capable of busting through the mountain range behind him with his bare hands.

Although he could have either dodged or released even more of his limiters, he was loath to do so. Doing either would, in his mind, insult the great effort Arya put into her last attack. And so, he did something else.

 _Crack!_

Dropping to his knee, the force with which it landed onto the ground and projectile's close proximity caused the earth to further crack open, creating a crater easily over a hundred feet in diameter.

With a roar, Naruto sent a mental command to the clones within his Byakugou seal and shivered as he felt natural energy, for the second time that day, flood his system, empowering his physical strength, toughness, regeneration and chakra potency to impossible levels. Standing back up to his full height, Naruto easily wrapped the same hand that was once fracturing and mending around the shaft of the pulsating arrow before crushing it between his fingers.

Instantly, the leftover power imploded on itself. A blinding explosion of gigantic proportions enveloped Naruto and part of the mountains that lay a mile from them. Several seconds passed as the radius of destruction continued to increase until the rest of Arya's chakra faded.

Slowly, the cloud of dust that covered the area dispersed, revealing a giant smoking hole with Naruto, half naked, his shirt disintegrated by the blast, and his arms crossed in front of his bare chest, in the center. A few cuts marred his otherwise unmarked skin, something that greatly impressed the God of Shinobi; he knew how damned hard it was to even scratch the surface of his skin after going into any one of his Sage Modes.

Cerulean eyes scanned the land as Naruto noted how the once peaceful and beautiful landscape was now a smoldering ruin of utter devastation. From where he stood to the once majestic mountain that now had a large portion of it carved out, nothing remained of the grassy plain.

Numerous questions ran through his head but foremost of them all was where was Arya. That's when he suddenly turned his attention upward and merely shook his head in amusement. Flying up, Naruto gently caught the surprisingly light and unconscious elf in a bridal carry, not noticing the new changes to her body due to her restrictive armor.

"She must have used the rest of her chakra in that move," said Naruto to no one in particular as he detected the scant levels of chakra in her body.

Leaning down, Naruto softly kissed her smooth forehead, causing Arya to shift about and snuggle deeper into his embrace. Quirking up his lips into a small smile, Naruto flew back down to the edge of the crater before tapping his foot against the ground, causing a large oak as well as a meadow of colorful wildflowers to sprout from the ground, concealing the two from the sun above.

Circling around until he found a comfortable hollow, Naruto gradually sat and leaned into the trunk, tenderly laying Arya down in between his legs so as to not disturb her. The moment he did, the elf once again moved about, this time resting her head on the blond's bare chest as she would a pillow as her soft body conformed to his own hard angles.

With that, Naruto wrapped his arms around Arya and drew her near, his eyes closing as he sighed, "Maybe I'll show you those jutsus next time…" before he too drifted off into oblivion, his head drooping down to nuzzle in the elf's silky hair.

Notes:

Yawë – elven symbol for trust

I will be using the fanfic The Tenseigan: Reincarnation Eye as the baseline for the Tenseigan powers in my story, as well…there's really no indication of what exactly the Tenseigan could do when fully matured. Thank you for all of your reviews, it really makes me feel motivated to keep going and I hope you all continue to enjoy what I hope is a passable fic.

So once again, thank you and please leave reviews!


	59. Lifting of Vows

Chapter 59

It was in the shade of a giant tree and surrounded by a meadow of vibrant flowers that Arya woke up. Eyelids as thin as the wings of a butterfly trembled before slowly opening, revealing eyes similar to those she was born with, only with a pale sheen covering her pupils and irises. A stranger would have, at first glance, concluded that the elf was blind.

Arya was anything but that.

With a groan, Arya blinked away at the dust that had settled in the corners of her eyes before taking a look at her surroundings. Only to blink again when she realized that the prevalent chakra in the Kamui dimension she immediately noticed upon being gifted the Tenseigan was missing; instead she only saw what she normally would, if in far better clarity.

Arya didn't panic as most would upon discovery that the new power they were given seemed to have disappeared. Instead, various memories flipped through her mind with several sticking out.

" _When Naruto activated his Rinne-Sharingan, there was a small pulse of chakra that was directed to his eyes. Also when I accidentally activated my_ _Sravaka Arhat Path_ _, the chakra I was about to use for the_ _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ _rushed to my eyes. Perhaps my Tenseigan are also activated by sending chakra into them._ " Drawing the smallest possible strand from the modest amount chakra she had recovered, Arya sent it to her eyes, blinking as her vision changed.

Only to immediately focus her gaze in front of her as she inadvertently got a good look at her brain. "That is not what I wanted to see, but good to know I was right."

Finally knowing that her hypothesis was correct and that she did not in fact lose her powers, Arya sighed in relief as she stopped the flow to conserve and recover the rest of her now Kage-level reserves. Leaning back, the elf relaxed as she laid her head back down on the warm pillow she was using…only to freeze when her tired mind realized that pillows weren't supposed to breathe.

Sitting back up, it was only then she realized the tanned and muscular arms that encircled her, holding her tight against what she could now feel to be Naruto's chest.

Taking a glance back, Arya's alabaster cheeks heated up as blood creeped up her neck, dying her fair face rosy as she stared wide-eyed at her lover's exposed chest. Several seconds passed as Arya simply observed, for the first time since they met, Naruto without his usual clothes or armor: admiring his muscular, but not overly bulky like she saw in so many other humans, and well-defined physique that seemed to ripple as Naruto steadily breathed in and out, still lost to the world.

"For such a violent profession, it is amazing how…unscarred you are after all these years, even with your ridiculous level of regeneration." Arya softly remarked to no one in particular as she skimmed her finger across Naruto's smooth and unbroken skin.

She had noticed that other than the whisker marks that lined his face and the small scars and calluses that marked his hands, Naruto's body was otherwise unblemished…until she laid eyes on the circular wound almost right above his heart.

It was an ugly thing: angry red as if it was just freshly healed and, now that she took a closer look at it, small gouges that ran along its edges as if a fist had been shoved through the blond's chest.

"Just what could have possibly done this to you?" Arya frowned as she thoroughly examined the wound that she now heavily suspected to have been the result of a fist being shoved through Naruto.

Lightly tracing the fist-sized depression, Arya jerked back when Naruto let out a small groan upon her touch before lazily opening his eyes, cerulean orbs capable of apocalyptic amounts of destruction and creation, and locking gazes with Arya before blinking in mild surprise at Arya's restored eyes.

"I'm glad your eyes are almost back to their original form. Although beautiful in their own way, Hinata's Byakugan eyes really would not have suited you." Cocking her head to the side, Arya arched an eyebrow up, not exactly sure how to react to the compliment – or unintentional insult? – about her eyes. And so, the elf maiden settled for a quick nod as she chose to not to look any deeper.

With a mischievous smile, Naruto gently brought his arms that encircled the lithe elf towards him. With barely a hint of resistance, Arya fell back against his firm chest, sighing in bliss as she felt Naruto envelop her entire being in a warm embrace, only to utter a moan as she felt Naruto kiss a particularly sensitive spot on her neck before perching his head on her armored shoulder.

Several minutes passed as the couple stayed just like that, looking over the field of flowers that eventually faded into the grassy plains that stretched as far as the eye could see and enjoying each other's company without any outside distractions, perfectly content to spend the hours if not the entire day like this.

"My best friend at the time did this to me, ya know." The silence was finally broken as Naruto murmured into one of her pointed ears, causing her to shiver before glancing to the side at the blond who was currently gazing at the sunny sky of the Kamui dimension with a faraway expression on his face. Without making a sound, Arya waited for Naruto continue, knowing what that look meant.

She didn't have to wait long.

"There's not much to say really. A lonely idiot blond who viewed an emo black-haired teenager as a brother in all but blood decided to chase after said boy across the the Land of Fire who had turned against Konoha and decided that studying under one of our biggest traitors was the best idea to gain power." The ends of his lips twitched down as Naruto frowned at the memory.

"Needless to say, when I finally caught up to him, he wasn't exactly willing to come back, not when 'power' was so close." Arya by now had narrowed her eyes, not exactly liking the way Naruto hid the exact details of what happened.

"Long story short, we fought as only too powerful brats could, swinging fists and trading blows in now that I think about it…a very inefficient and un-shinobi like manner," chuckled the blond before growing silent as he reached how he almost died back then. While almost dying was nothing new to him, even as a brat barely out of the Shinobi Academy, the fact that it was at the hands of a comrade he completely trusted impacted him far more than Zabuza with his giant cleaver for a sword ever could.

"In the end, we unleashed our most powerful moves at the time. I couldn't bear to kill him, so instead I threw a Rasengan at his forehead protector. Sasuke…didn't have such reservations. Instead, he shoved a Chidori straight through my chest and out the back."

Naruto sighed as he absently stroked one of his only two scars, wincing as even now he could feel the mind-blistering pain of having a Chidori shoved through his chest. But even worse was the feeling of betrayal he had felt when he saw Sasuke do it without a hint of regret in his Sharingan eyes, eyes that he now held in his head.

His eyes regained their clarity when he felt Arya shift in his arms as her small and soft, yet also callused, hand tightly gripped at his own, preventing him from continuing his action. Tilting his head to the side, Naruto almost shivered when he saw the intense anger that flashed through his lover's restored forest-green orbs.

The blond realized that Arya must have drawn parallels between Sasuke and Fäolin.

Both men who were considered brothers, or even lover in Arya's case, to them.

Both understood and were in turn understood by Arya and Naruto.

And finally, both eventually turned traitor to the two for the sake of power. Although both Sasuke and Fäolin were at the time mentally broken, it didn't lessen the sting their betrayals inflicted.

Bringing up her hand that still held his, Naruto gently caressed the small scars and calluses that lined across the inside of her fingers – proof that she was no helpless princess, but a deadly warrior in her own right…a fact that first attracted him to the elf – finding comfort in doing so.

Thinking up a way to get her mind off the dreary topic, Naruto impishly smiled as he leaned down to kiss at the small imperfections, causing Arya to turn a bright vermillion red as small jolts of delightful electricity ran up her arms and down her spine.

Any thoughts of Fäolin or Sasuke flew out the window as she decided to just enjoy his ministrations before muttering, "Akr…thurra," causing Arya's skin to temporarily gain a shiny sheen before disappearing, along with all of the accumulated sweat and grime that had settled on her after the Siege of Feinster and their recent fight. While nothing compared to a proper bath, it was both quick and efficient, making it her primary method of cleaning herself.

" _Now that I think about it…_ " "Naruto, not that I don't enjoy what you are doing…quite the opposite in fact…but what happened after our spar? I must have fallen unconscious when I used the last of my chakra into my eyes and bow." Arya asked as Naruto paused in his actions (which slightly disappointed Arya, although she would never admit it) before gradually standing up.

Looking up, Arya came face to an outstretched hand. Tilting her head for the second time, the elf briefly wondered what it was he wanted to show her before reaching out to grab at the hand.

With a tug, Naruto brought up Arya, ready to support her if needed. Seeing how steady she was, the blond shrugged, having expected her to be so. Still holding her hand, he led her around the thick trunk of the recently grown tree, only stopping when they reached the opposite side of the tree.

Hearing a small gasp, Naruto glanced behind him, noticing her wide eyes and slightly slackened jaw that belied her astonishment.

"I…I did this?" whispered Arya in disbelief as she absently let go of his hand before striding to the edge of the the gaping hole that extended for a little over a mile and even took a large chunk of the mountain beyond. It seemed inconceivable to her that such an explosion could have resulted from merely using the Tenseigan and most of her chakra, and she knew just how inefficient she was due to the sudden increase in her reserves.

"Yes you did, my little destructive pinecone. Once you muttered Sravaka Arhat Path, you were suddenly zipping across the sky, not to mention that last attack that could have easily obliterated a mountain…even if you did run out of chakra again." Naruto teased as Arya narrowed her almond-shaped eyes at the blond in annoyance at the nickname he gave. To which the sage cheekily grinned.

Huffing, Arya returned her attention to the area of destruction, but not before muttering 'blond idiot' under her breath. Several minutes passed as Naruto stayed silent, letting the elf fully understand and come to grips with her new capabilities.

"Just a few hours ago, I was one of my people's most powerful warriors, capable of using spells that could take down unprotected fortress walls. Now, I am able to do the exact same thing, except this time with only my body and and sword, while also being able to tear down mountains with naught but an arrow and my eyes." Breaking the silence, whirled to face him with a question that this time she had no problem asking.

"Naruto, I have many questions, but since we should return soon, I'll settle for just one. Just who were these Ōtsutsuki, that merely their eyes and their genes could allow someone like me to do such a thing?"

Crossing his arms over his still bare chest, Naruto stood still before sighing. "Well, you see, the Ōtsutsuki was a clan that came from beyond the stars. One in particular, Kaguya…

xXx

Meanwhile, as hours passed in the Kamui dimension, mere minutes did in the real world. As Eragon descended with Lady Lorana, they were met with Blödhgarm and the rest of the elven spellcasters who were running up the staircase four steps at a time.

Seeing Eragon relatively unharmed – although the same could not be said about his armor – as well as hearing the healthy and victorious roars of Saphira came as a great relief to the group. When Arya and Eragon had left to proceed alone from above the keep, the blue-furred elf had narrowed his yellow eyes in both worry and mild annoyance, especially when each of the group could feel dark magic gathering on the top floor of the keep.

"Shadeslayer! Are you hurt?" exclaimed a female elf with long black hair. "When we saw Saphira's frenzy in tearing apart the keep, we worried that something happened to either of you…"

Her voice trailed away when she and the rest of the elves by then noticed the absence of a certain elf. More specifically…the princess of their species. With looks of alarm, all twelve of the spellcasters closed their eyes as they threw their minds out over the keep, enveloping the entire area as they searched through every nook and cranny for even a hint of Arya's presence.

Only to find nothing except for a scant few traces back up the stairs, and even they were quickly dissipating in the wind.

"No…it cannot be." The same elf, who Eragon now remembered as Invidia, sagged against the cold stone wall, her fellow elves stooping to support her as they too stumbled about, their eyes glimmering as hints of tears made themselves known. Only Blödhgarm remained standing tall, a pillar that they could rely on, but when Eragon looked deeper into his eyes, the young Rider could see a flash of sadness that quickly disappeared.

Confused at first, Eragon quickly connected the dots before grabbing a hold of the furry elf's shoulders and slightly shaking him.

"Blödhgarm-elda, you misunderstand; Arya is not dead. After fighting with Vaurag the Shade, she was heavily wounded just before Naruto showed up. Seeing the state she was in, he decided to bring her to his personal place of healing. It shouldn't be long until they return." Eragon hurriedly supplied an explanation for Arya's disappearance, careful to reveal as little as possible about his friend's arcane abilities as he watched the distinctive pointy ears of the elves perk up before their heads swiveled towards him. Feeling a substantial force settle on his own shoulders, Eragon glanced sideways to see furred hands on them.

"Is what you say true Shadeslayer? Is Arya-svit-kona truly alright?" The leader of the elves in turn tightened his grip on the pauldrons of Eragon's armor, almost denting them so great was his strength.

As Eragon answered with a nod, Blödhgarm sighed in relief as the rest of his brethren also did, unclenching his hands from the dwarven steel armor that now held indents that suspiciously looked like fingertips. Still holding onto his shoulders, the blue elf levelled his gaze upon the man that killed a Shade.

"You say that she was seriously injured, but just what happened up there? And where exactly is this 'healing place' of Naruto-finiarel's? Speaking of him, how exactly did he get there without any of us noticing?" Blödhgarm rapidly fired questions, anxious and curious of the whereabouts of their princess while showing a not small amount of caution towards the sage.

Eragon sighed as he mentally yelled out to Saphira, " _Saphira, a little help would be much appreciated!_ "

" _And what exactly would you have me do? Tear down the keep and 'rescue' you from the fair folk who are only worried for their princess? I think not; just tell them to wait until the briefing with Ajihad._ " Saphira snorted in amusement, having seen firsthand her Rider's situation through his eyes as they had reconnected their minds after taking Feinster, before flying towards the ground, essentially leaving Eragon to his fate.

Eragon's eye twitched at his dragon's disloyalty before drawing his attention back to the powerful elves. "I will tell you all what happened up there, however it is not my place to tell Naruto's secrets. For now, let me first escort Lady Lorana to Ajihad. Apparently she, and all of the city rulers of the Empire were forced to declare loyalty in the ancient language to Galbatorix."

Sharp pairs of eyes darted to the woman behind Eragon, making Lady Lorana slightly tremble in apprehension at being the target of the legendary elves she had only heard about in stories.

Soon, her years of ruling quickly kicked in as she gathered the ends of her skirt before slightly bending her knees, performing a standard curtsy of respect. "Thank you fair ones and Shadeslayer for freeing my city. I apologize for not stopping my people, but I had no choice due to the oath that was forced upon me."

Blödhgarm, who had lowered his arms upon recognizing her, slightly dipped his head in respect to her station before gesturing down the steps. "We understand Lady Lorana and we hold no grudge against you for doing so. For the time being, let us escort you to the leader of the Varden, Ajihad." The blue elf turned back down the steps, but not before shooting Eragon a glance that clearly relayed his intentions.

Nodding back, the entire group moved down the staircase, albeit at a slower pace now that a normal human was with them. Glancing back, Eragon slightly started when he realized the clone that was once right behind them was missing. Shrugging, the Rider turned to the front, knowing that if Naruto, clone or not, didn't want to be found, there was no way in hell he could be.

Following the group as they descended, a shadow rose up from the ground, revealing himself to be the clone Naruto had created. He was only there to be an observer and to let his Boss know when it was time to exit the Kamui dimension. The only reason he wasn't noticed when the elves threw out their mental sonar was due to pulling an Obito and becoming intangible, unable to be affected by anything physical or magical.

With a sigh, the clone sank back down into the ground, but not before complaining, " _Why is it always me that gets the boring jobs?_ "

xXx

"…and that's about it." Naruto started sweating as Arya fixed at him a dull stare. Finally, the elf just sighed as she pinched the space between her brows.

"So, let me get this right. These Ōtsutsuki are essentially god-like beings with a history of having extremely vast chakra reserves, unique bloodlines, incredible strength/durability, and last of all overpowered dōjutsus. Not only that Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, an alien from space and is also known as the Mother of Chakra, is currently sealed within you along with Kurama, the Juubi no Kitsune, who is practically the planet itself. Did I get everything?" Oblivious to Arya's mounting exasperation, the blond simply nodded his confirmation.

A small tick started to pulse on Arya's forehead as her eyes switched to the Tenseigan.

"And yet you decided it was a good idea to transplant those godly genes into me, not knowing whether my body would either simultaneously combust or otherwise explode from the enormous changes done to it?" The volume of her voice grew louder after each passing word, showing how her earlier exasperation slowly turned to a righteous fury, an emotion she could count on one hand and still have fingers to spare.

Still somehow ignorant of the fact that his lover's trembling fist to leak out pale glowing green tendrils, Naruto nodded away. "When you say it that way, it really does sound ba…" any further words were instantly silenced when a small fist that was the color of ivory and now completely surrounded by an aura of luminous cyan-green chakra buried itself in Naruto's midsection before blasting him away into the carved up mountain, creating a Naruto-shaped hole to go along with the one she made earlier.

Blinking several times, Arya slowly brought up her still smoking fist to her eyes, surprised at both the sheer force from the punch and how relatively little chakra she put into it. Following that, she attempted the same punch several more times, remembering how her chakra moved through her Tenseigan: her memory perfect even when she wasn't paying close attention, due to being able to see within her own mind, which recorded anything she saw.

"To achieve the same results, I would have needed to expend the entirety of my reserves, but this time I put less than a tenth of my chakra. How curious, I wonder if I can further narrow that down" muttered Arya as she continued to practice, although this time with far less chakra in order to not accidentally blow up her hand.

Up the mountain and lying in a crater several feet deep, a certain blond groaned as he rubbed at the area he was struck, which was right above his liver. "To think she instinctively utilized Tsunade's famous technique just because she got a little upset…I don't know whether to be more frightened at her sheer luck and genius or that when she now gets mad, her punches will actually do more than tickle me…especially if she keeps jumping power levels like this."

Making his way out of the man-shaped hole, Naruto flew back down to where he saw Arya punching the air, causing the air to crack around her as she sent short bursts of chakra through her arms and out her fists. Sending a burst of his own, the blond unsealed an orange sweatshirt with black stripes near his wrists and hips as well as a new pair of black cargo pants that appeared on him.

Before he could land, he received a message from his clone. " _Boss, Eragon and Saphira have arrived with Lady Lorana and Blödhgarm's group at Ajihad. They are alone in a tent with a silencing spell around them._ "

Finally touching down, Naruto loudly coughed, gaining Arya's attention as she ceased her sudden training. But before he could say anything, the elf quickly crossed the small gap before wrapping her toned arms around his broad shoulders, careful to avoid the spot she had punched, as she rested her chin in the crook of his neck.

Pausing a bit before wrapping his arms around her slender frame automatically in response, Naruto brought her closer, burying his face in her silky black and white that bordered on silver locks, slightly confused on what brought this on; his query was soon answered.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I did not mean to hit you so hard, especially with our relationship and everything you've done for me. But next time, when you plan on doing something that risky to either yourself or me, just tell me in advance. There's no reason to hide anything; for whatever you do, I will support you all the way…unless it's something extremely stupid." Arya breathed out as she squeezed her man a bit to make her point.

Sighing, Naruto surrendered to the exotic elf's wishes – it was quite a reasonable one after all – as he nodded his agreement. Getting back to why he flew down, the blond spoke directly into her ear, "We should get going. Eragon, Saphira, and Blödhgarm's group have arrived in Ajihad's tent along with Lady Lorana. And from what my clone told me, your fellow elves are quite worried about you."

Reluctantly disengaging from their embrace, Arya briefly wondered whether she could have foreseen herself changing so much in such a brief amount of time before shaking her head. " _No, I never would have seen myself becoming so emotional to anyone, never mind to someone I have only known for several months._ "

"Well, let us not keep them waiting," replied Arya while holding out her arm, which Naruto looped around his own before disappearing from the still unmeasured pocket dimension in a dark swirl.

Out a few tens of miles, a certain behemoth fox also disappeared, leaving a battered and bemused dragon hanging in the sky.

"…Did I get forgotten?" mused Asura before went off for an early snack of giant mutated snails.

xXx

"…As I said, it is not my place to tell his secrets." Eragon once again firmly replied, starting to tire when King Orrin of Surda, for the fourth time, brought up how Naruto mysteriously appeared without anyone of their spellcasters or the elven spellweavers noticing.

"But from your tone, you did not swear an oath in the ancient language to hide his abilities. Surely we, the leaders of the Varden, deserve to know something so minor?" King Orrin pressed on, even as Ajihad and Jörmundur frowned in disapproval at the man's ignorance.

He may have not been there at the Battle of Farthen Dûr to witness Naruto sealing off a tunnel massacring 4000 Urgals and Kull before going off to to help Eragon become one of only three people at the time to ever kill a Shade.

But he was there at the Battle of the Burning Plains when the God of Shinobi slaughtered over 5000 men in a blink of the eye, created 3000 copies of himself, and then beat down Fäolin and his red dragon into the ground without a scratch…technically.

So it confused and, although they would never admit it, worried them that King Orrin, who was a significant contributor to their cause, would so blatantly try to extract information from one of Naruto's friends and students even after getting rejected several times. It was only worse when the one the king was 'interrogating' was the uniting cause of the Varden as well as the poster boy for new recruits.

Finally, as a vein started to make itself known on the Rider's forehead upon another one of Orrin's poorly veiled attempts at Naruto's abilities, the shadow that had followed Eragon and the group made itself known by rising from the ground directly behind Eragon.

Rings and shouts filled the air as Blödhgarm and his elves whipped out their swords milliseconds after the clone's appearance, words of the ancient language on their lips as they prepared to destroy what they thought was an assassin. The other leaders also drew their swords slightly after the elves, their nerves still high-strung after the battle while Lady Lorana backed away towards the exit. Only Eragon and Saphira outside the tent didn't bother to react, knowing exactly who, or more accurately what, was behind them.

Completely ignoring the sharp pieces of metal and deadly spells aimed at him, the Naruto clone merely waved with a foxy grin. "Yo, just wanted to inform you all that the Boss is on his way. So you can stop trying to extract answers from Eragon."

Before anyone could say or do something, the clone popped itself in an intentional explosion of smoke, hiding both Naruto's and Arya's entrance into the command tent. As the smoke cleared, the blurred outlines could be seen as Naruto and Arya stepped forward besides Eragon, revealing Arya's altered appearance.

Several different reactions spread throughout the room. Eragon and the elves, the supposedly more concerned party, merely lifted an eyebrow or widened their eyes in mild surprise; with Blödhgarm himself as an example, it wasn't uncommon for elves to alter their appearance, although they were more curious of why she 'chose' now to do so.

Ajihad and his fellow leaders however, slightly dropped their jaws as they blankly stared, captivated by Arya's altered form. Having seen more elves than most humans ever did in their entire lives, they had developed a certain amount of resistance to their inherent enchanting looks. For them to lose themselves for even a moment spoke volumes of how much the elf had changed…and for the better. Even the ruler of Feinster was no exception to this.

With a ' _snap_ ', Ajihad and his right-hand man, Jörmundur, shut their jaws as they shook their heads to clear them. Only one person was still openly ogling the elven princess.

"King Orrin, if you are done staring at Arya, we can truly begin the meeting." With a cough, King Orrin looked back at his fellow dark-skinned man before fixing his gaze on the blond curiosity.

Curtly nodding, King Orrin retreated back to the human side of the table as Ajihad, his face slightly darker at being caught staring.

"King Orrin, this is Naruto Uzumaki…the God of Slaughter that the men have taken to calling him. Naruto, this is King Orrin of Surda and one of our greatest allies in the war." The primary leader of the Varden introduced the two as Naruto slightly grimaced at his new title, quickly recalling the thousands that died by his hands in the Battle of Farthen Dûr and Burning Plains before putting it out of his mind.

"Out of our 80,000 men, we lost almost 5,000 in the first two days before Naruto here broke down the gates." Ajihad nodded his shaved head in thanks for the boon the powerful blond had granted them. If not, who knows how many more would have been sacrificed on the relatively minor city.

Continuing on, Ajihad swept his eyes across the room before landing on Naruto's. "After taking down the gate, I ordered the men to spare as many men as possible, swearing in the ancient language that we would free Lady Lorana from her oath to Galbatorix. Doing so resulted in only several tens of casualties on Feinster's side. However, another 2,000 died of our men died trying to retake the keep, due to the high concentration of Empire soldiers and enhanced fortifications. So in total, we still retain around 70,000 fighting men while Feinster, should they join us, would be able to supply us with another 19,000."

An elf of Blödhgarm's spellweavers gave a look of disapproval towards the black leader. "Ajihad, you played and still are playing a dangerous game when you promised to break the oaths Galbatorix holds over Lady Lorana. Should you fail to do so, you could die an early, and not necessarily painless death. And right now, not even us elves have the means to undo such an oath."

Jörmundur and King Orrin merely glanced back at Ajihad at the elf's announcement: one in confidence and the other in doubt. Ajihad himself allowed a small smile to show on his lips.

"You are correct in that should I fail to live up to my promise, my end might be one not of my liking. But you are wrong about one thing." The disapproving elf and the rest of his kind cocked their heads to the side, curious on where the human's confidence came from, as they waited for him to continue. For centuries, if not millennia, the elves have studied and researched extensively on the breaking of oaths in the ancient language, only to come to the conclusion that one's true name must be changed just to have a chance of doing so.

But such a change was not like taking off one's clothes. It involved breaking or changing a fundamental part of the person in question, and such a change could not be done so easily.

When he saw Ajihad's dark brown eyes fall on him, silently asking for permission, Naruto sighed his approval as what he guessed, when Ajihad spoke of breaking ancient language oaths, happened. When he spoke of showing mercy, the blond didn't expect the black leader of the Varden to rope him into this. But what's done is done, and besides, with the new knowledge he extracted from Galbatorix, there was no reason to using the potentially soul-scattering method he used before.

Bringing up his second and third finger of his right hand, Naruto silently evoked a seal he had used many a time during his term as Hokage. Instantly, a black wriggling mass of kanji made themselves known as they wrapped around room and its occupants, except for Lady Lorana who looked in awe and fright at the spectacle.

Her expression was mirrored by the elves, but before they could question the blond what he did, Ajihad continued on. "You were wrong about me playing a dangerous game master elf. Because in this tent is someone perfectly capable of breaking oaths in the ancient language, as he did to Fäolin and his red dragon." Waving a hand at Naruto, Ajihad revealed some of the details he had withheld from the elven queen.

"When Naruto defeated Fäolin, he performed one of his jutsus and just so happened to cancel out all of the oaths…and break the bond between Rider and dragon."

A hush came over the room as all of the elves, excluding Arya, went bug-eyed as they whipped their heads towards Naruto, all of them demanding answers with just their gazes alone. On the side, a certain king also carefully analyzed the blond's face for any indication of deceit.

Naruto just calmly looked back at everyone. "It's all true. When I was about to kill Fäolin, I felt pity for his dragon when I saw how he was treated by the man he chose to be Rider. And so I performed a jutsu called the Keiyaku Fūin, which severs the connection between the summon and the summoner. In this case, it cut the already fragile bond between the traitor and his dragon, with the side effect of also breaking all oaths in the ancient language that once enslaved them."

Ignoring the astonished looks the elves gave him as a millennia old problem was solved in front of their eyes, Naruto gave an unhappy glare at Ajihad, who calmly looked back. "However, what Ajihad forgot to mention was that I noticed afterwards that should Fäolin or his dragon been any weaker, I might have accidentally ended up scattering both of their souls, denying them the chance to ever go to the Pure Land."

By the end of his account, the wide eyes of the elves were as large as dinner plates: astonished by the fact that the mysterious human in front of them was able to do what no elf or Rider was able to do. They noted, but in the end ignore the bit about the Pure Land and souls part as they were a race that had no belief in either the afterlife, gods, or even souls until there was definitive proof.

Even the word of an almighty being was not enough to sway them from their prior beliefs.

Seeing a few heads turn towards her, Arya quickly dipped her chin down, indicating them that what Naruto said was true.

Several seconds passed as the elves regained their calm until the blue-furred elf broke it and took a graceful step in front of the ruler of Feinster. "Naruto-finiarel, you mentioned that if Fäolin or the dragon was any weaker, their…souls would have been shattered and they would be denied the chance of the Pure Land. Although we may not completely believe in concept of souls and the afterlife, it is obvious that they could have come to extreme harm or even died if they were any weaker. But Lady Lorana," Blödhgarm glanced back at the now faintly nervous Lady Lorana, "and the rest of the city rulers are but regular humans and are far weaker than the traitor and his dragon. So if you employ your method, they would be in grave danger and their deaths would backfire on the Varden."

Naruto didn't comment or try to change the elves' views as he had stayed long enough with them and read enough of their philosophical texts to know where they were coming from. Regarding the elf's concerns, it was reasonable that the blue elf was worried over the potential backlash. And the blond would have agreed…

…if he hadn't already extracted the perfect method for freeing Lady Lorana and the other city leaders.

"If you had asked me several days ago, I would have agreed and thus refused to even consider my method. But just a few hours ago, I came across a method that would shatter their bonds to that vile man without any consequences," replied Naruto as Blödhgarm's eagle eyes narrowed.

"And what method is this?"

Naruto shook his head as he refused to tell them the exact technique he would use, knowing that leaking knowledge of the name of the ancient language, especially with people he didn't trust, would do far more harm than good.

"I won't tell you how I will do it, but I promise that it will work and that none shall come to harm. And you should know that I don't break my promises." Blödhgarm intensely stared into the shinobi's eyes, looking for any hint of wavering conviction, but in the end found none. With a nod, the elf stepped back into his group, leaving the path towards Lady Lorana open.

But just as Naruto was about to alter the size of the silencing seal to include only himself, a loud voice rang out.

"Ajihad, you cannot seriously believe the ridiculous claims this Naruto is saying. If not even the elves could manage it after over several millennia, what makes you think…"

King Orrin was swiftly silenced when Naruto suddenly stared into his eyes with the Rinne-Sharingan blazing to life. Seconds passed as at first the King of Surda's knees started mildly shake before they suddenly buckled, startling his fellow humans when streams of sweat abruptly appeared as Orrin's face fixed itself into a rictus of both awe and fear.

As Ajihad and Jörmundur started to make their way to the fallen king, Naruto simply glanced away, his eyes already back to their usual cerulean blue.

"Don't worry Ajihad, he won't have permanent damage, although he will probably step lightly when around me from now on." Seeing Ajihad still glare at him as he knelt next to King Orrin, Naruto shrugged as he revealed what he did. "Fine, I may have showed him a small portion of what I could do when serious…which may have included me obliterating a mountain with a punch. Although I could have settled this by talking, it's much easier and faster to just show him what I can do. It's been a long day and I'm sure we all want this meeting over and done with."

Knowing that the leader of the Varden's ally was going to be alright, Ajihad merely sighed as he wearily stood back up, but not before propping the unconscious man against a chair.

Seeing that he had nothing more to say, Naruto quickly adjusted the silencing seal, making sure it only covered him and Lady Lorana, although with a sound barrier between them. Uttering the Name of Names, Naruto could feel the bonds that tied her to Galbatorix and the Empire dissolve like a shadow exposed to the sun.

Multiple pairs of eyes landed on Lady Lorana as she suddenly stumbled back. For the first time in years, her mind felt like her own without the dark taint that had always lurked in the back of her mind.

"Feinster will join the Varden." The moment she said those words, her breath caught in astonishment. Had she attempted to even say those words hours ago, she would have been down on the ground in intense pain, unable to even move due the oaths and spells.

His task done, Naruto smiled when he saw the tears of joy run down Lorana's face as she finally felt a sense of freedom she couldn't even remember having. Ignoring the looks of utter astonishment on the elves' faces, he glanced sideways towards Arya who also wore small smile, happy to see the mental chains that essentially enslaved Lady Lorana broken.

She had more than enough experience of being trapped in her own mind, and it was something she didn't wish on almost anyone.

"Shall we go?"

Turning, Arya saw Naruto shoot a look towards the tent's entrance. Normally she would say no, citing that they should stay until the meeting was concluded and their future plans ironed out.

But she was no longer the same, and the more playful and relaxed side of her that she had so long suppressed was becoming more prominent the longer she stayed at her lover's side. Besides, after being blinded, genetically altered, given unbelievably powerful eyes, and seeing several other impossible feats happen right in front of her, even her old self would have decided that she deserved rest.

Slightly bowing her head to the others, Arya announced, "Excuse us, but we are both weary from the battle and shall retire to our quarters. Any more questions you all have will have to wait for tomorrow. May the stars watch over you, Ajihad, Lady Lorana, Eragon-finiarel, and Blödhgarm-elda."

Not waiting for a response, the couple whisked themselves away from the stuffy interior of the tent as Naruto created a shadow clone to inform of changes. Once complete, space twisted as Naruto transferred the both of them into his Kamui dimension for a well-deserved rest.

The Siege of Feinster was over.

Notes:

Akr – moist

Thurra – dry

I know it's been a long time since I last updated, but I've been preparing for the GRE which is quite soon, so my apologies. Also I had a hard time writing this chapter due to it being mostly transitory stuff before the next parts. So, I'm sorry if you guys find this chapter subpar. But I hope you all still enjoy yourselves and please leave a review!


	60. Summary of Naruto's Powers-NOT A CHAPTER

Summary of Naruto's Powers

Knowledge of all Jutsus ever created – Before Naruto left the Elemental Nations, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki gifted him knowledge of all of the jutsus ever created and used by shinobi as a farwell present.

Fūinjutsu – A Rank 10 Sealmaster, personally trained by Mito Uzumaki after she was turned into his path, until her soul left her after crossing the barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations.

All Sharingan abilities – The Rinnegan and Sharingan that were transplanted into Naruto further mutated after reacting with his Uzumaki genes, Ashura chakra, and the Juubi. As such, he is able to utilize all known Mangekyō Sharingan abilities: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Kotoamatsumaki, Kamui, and Susanoo. Whether further unique abilities will appear is to be seen…

Rinnegan – The eyes transplanted into Naruto mutated into the legendary Rinne-Sharingan, granting him the ability to utilize the fabled Rinnegan used by the First God of Shinobi: Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. As such, he is able to use the Six Paths as well as the Outer Path and can use all seven elements as well as their combinations: however, he must train in order to master them. Like Nagato, he used six corpses as his paths:

Hashirama – Preta Path

Tobirama – Asura Path

Itachi – Animal Path

Tsunade – Naraka Path

Mito Uzumaki – Human Path

Nagato – Deva Path

In addition, Naruto has also inherited Amenotejikara from Sasuke in his left eye as well being able to freely manipulate space and time separately in his right eye.

Senjutsu – A signature move of Naruto's, his affinity with natural energy has only increased due to having the Juubi no Kitsune sealed within him, a being that both radiates and attracts natural energy without trying. As such, Naruto usually seals away his passive absorbing of natural energy.

When he does unseal himself, Naruto instantly enters Sage Mode Level 1and gains the same characteristics he did when with the toads. In this mode, all of his physical attributes increase by at least 10x. When he actively draws in more of the ambient natural energy, similar markings that Hashirama got when he entered Sage Mode appears on his face, leading to Sage Mode Level 2. In this mode, he becomes exponentially more powerful than his previous mode. Finally, when drawing from the Byakugou seal that is essentially a huge mass of highly compressed natural energy, Naruto enters Sage Mode Level 3, which again exponentially stronger than Level 2. It is unknown as of now what he looks like due to him not being ready yet for it.

Jinchuuriki of the Juubi – Due to being partners with Kurama, Naruto is able to utilize all versions of the jinchuuriki cloak as well as completely synchronizing with the fox. Power level unknown. This can be combined with Sage Modes.

Rikudo Sennin Mode – Unlike canon, Naruto retains the sun pattern and now the moon pattern on his palms, allowing his previous Rikudo Senning Mode to reach ungodly heights. As of now, what he can do in this form is unknown as there are no enemies worthy of such power for now.

Knowledge of magic – After arriving in Alagaesia, Naruto learned of magic and the way chakra behind the First Gate could be manipulated with words of the ancient language in unique ways unknown to the general shinobi population, such as uttering the word water and creating a crystal. In addition, despite not being a native to the continent, he was able to find his true name due to sharing a similar energy utilized by magic, which doubled the potency of his chakra. With the knowledge of Galbatorix and the elves, he may know more than anyone, but he is by no means a master of the art.

Chakra reserves – Just by himself, Naruto is basically a Bijuu in a human disguise. Due to having Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Juubi no Kitsune sealed within him, his already substantial reserves have increased over the century to the level of half of the old Kyuubi reserves with untold concentration…which only doubled after finding his true name.

Elemental Natures – Naruto's affinity towards wind and the Mokuton recently became near godlike due to the blessings received in Ellesmera. In addition, Naruto has been training non-stop with the usage of thousands if not millions of clones by now to be able to utilize and master the elements without hand seals, only using them to further strengthen the jutsu.

Physical abilities – Naruto is a master of the Kawazu Kumite, or Toad Sage Fist and is able to tear down mountains with his bare hands without the use of chakra. He has also studied Goken and the Hyuuga Juuken style and incorporated elements from each together. He is able to use Tsunade's super strength to further augment his abilities and due to the sheer potency of his chakra and how much he has…whole islands or even continents may just crack open and be dragged down.

Dragon Rider – Arriving in Doru Araeba, Naruto was turned into a Dragon Rider by a dragon hatchling named Asura, who is able to utilize the Asura path of the Rinnegan and the flames of Amaterasu. He is modeled after Deathwing and will have several interesting abilities of his own.

Notes:

A reader wanted a summary of Naruto's powers...and I thought that was a good idea. The list will be updated as long something significant happens.


	61. Negotiation

Chapter 60

Several weeks had passed since Naruto broke Lady Lorana's oaths as the Varden marched onto the next city – Belatona: a city one size greater than Feinster that lied on the south shore of Lake Leona, just a few days of marching from the second largest city in the Empire: Dras Leona. If Feinster was a simple toehold into the Empire, then Belatona was like standing at the door to the heart of the Broddring Empire.

In that time, Naruto had transferred the memories of Galbatorix to the Eldunari as they promised, except for the name of the ancient language. Such information was too dangerous for anyone else to know other than those he trusted the most. Although he trusted both Eragon and Arya, he in the end decided to wait until the end of the war to let them know of the answer the whole of Alagaesia had been searching for hundreds if not thousands of years…when they were tempted to use such dangerous information.

They had also reconvened again, except this time with King Hrothgar of the dwarves and Queen Islanzadí who was present via a scry message through a mirror, where Naruto this time revealed his triumph over Galbatorix. Needless to say, everyone was stunned silent before they erupted in a cacophony of accusations, questions, and demands…all of which were soon silenced by both Naruto and Queen Islanzadí who confirmed the blond's words.

What followed next was a heavy silence as several of them, mostly King Orrin (who after witnessing what the mysterious God of Slaughter could do tried to never look him in the eye again) and King Hrothgar, narrowed their eyes with suspicion at him. Although they knew the sage was powerful, now that they had solid proof that the man in front of them was more powerful than even Galbatorix, they just couldn't help but wonder whether Naruto would now have similar…aspirations as the mad king.

It was only after Naruto swore in the ancient language that he didn't have such goals that they took back their qualms. Not that that the oath did anything as not even the ancient language could bind him in any way.

But they didn't need to know that.

Following the meeting, while the Varden buzzed with the activity of men, Urgals, and dwarves, Naruto helped Arya relentlessly train, mostly staying within the Kamui dimension to determine the limits of her body and chakra while exploring the full capabilities of her Sravaka Arhat Path, leaving only a clone outside to update him of the situation.

As it turned out, her new body – without using chakra – was able to stand up against his own with while under 45x resistance seals, a feat that only the greatest of Jōnins and Kage would have been able to match in a strictly Taijutsu match. But regarding chakra, they discovered that her high-Jōnin reserves had exploded to the point of matching that of the Sandaime Raikage, who was known for his monstrous chakra reserves and his ability to fight off the Hachibi by himself.

…Unfortunately for Arya, this meant only more chakra control exercises to adapt to her sudden increase in energy, something that the elf most definitely did not enjoy.

Regarding the Sravaka Arhat Path, Naruto and Arya soon found out that she was able to manipulate any object at will – essentially making it a superior version of Jiton. It would only be years later that such a power already had a name: telekinesis. However, even until now, she was still unable to access the other paths of the Tenseigan, although it was not from lack of trying.

In the end, they concluded that it would take some time or a trigger to use its other abilities. For now, Arya contented herself with perfecting her chakra control and learn the myriad of applications her Tenseigan provided.

While Naruto was helping Arya train, he was also instructing Asura – as he promised – on how to utilize his namesake's path. Even now, as Naruto dodged glowing green fingers that were all directed towards his tenketsu, he smirked at the memory of the black dragon's hilariously shocked expression when he saw another pair of mechanical wings sprout from his back.

Momentarily distracted, Naruto barely managed to deflect Arya, her Tenseigan blazing, as she drove another two fingers towards his abdomen by sweeping aside the dangerous blow by her wrist.

Launching a vicious fist towards her, the blond widened his eyes when Arya suddenly displayed an incredible feat of flexibility and balance as she leaned back until she was almost parallel to the ground before aiming for the points in his arm that would disable it, if only for a moment.

"Your speed at learning the Jūken is most impressive Arya!" Naruto yelled out as he swiftly pulled back right as her chakra-laden fingers brushed the sleeve of his shirt, pulverizing the material into dust. Instead, he opted for a low kick at the exposed knees – seeking to destabilize her connection to the ground – only for them to disappear in a blur as Arya flipped back onto her feet via her hands.

Seconds passed as the two stared at each other after their lightning quick exchange: Naruto with his hands by his side and Arya with her right palm in front of her and her left at her hip. But just as Naruto was about reengage, a mental message burst through his mind, causing him to slightly stiffen.

" _Boss, we're almost at Belatona and Ajihad requested your sensing skills._ "

Relaxing his stance, the blond realized something. " _Wait, you're perfectly capable of also entering Sage Mode, so why didn't you just do so?_ "

"… _I didn't feel like it._ "

And just like that, the brief life of the clone was ended at the snap of the annoyed original's fingers. With a puff of smoke, the clone disappeared, leaving a bemused Ajihad who hadn't caught on that he was in fact speaking with a clone. The others in the tent, namely Jörmundur and Eragon, just sighed at the spectacle.

Opposite of him, Arya had long lowered her arms as she made her way towards him with a slinking, muscular grace that bespoke of her skill with a blade and her improving hand-to-hand skills.

"I take it that it is time for the next battle Naruto, and thank you for the compliment." Arya asked in her melodic voice, slightly bowing her head as she went over to her sword and new bow and arrows that Naruto had personally grown using his Mokuton before striding to his side.

Nodding, the air around them began to distort as the two vanished from the Kamui dimension before reappearing right in front of Ajihad, once again their entrance obscured with the smoke from the dispersed clone.

The black leader of the Varden, to his credit, barely tensed before lowering his guard. Arching an eyebrow, Ajihad shook his head at their sudden appearance. Eragon and Saphira, who was outside due to her enormous size, didn't even flinch at his arrival, having already seen and been a part of the strange technique the blond used to travel to other places.

"Even now, I still do not understand how the both of you can appear before me without even ruffling the tent flaps; it's as if you two were able to instantaneously teleport." He mused as he gazed at Naruto, searching for any signs of confirmation from the blond.

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto just held up his hands as he calmly looked back at Ajihad. "Who knows? Maybe I'm able to, maybe I'm not. It's not as if that's something you should know."

Mentally, he complimented Ajihad for his ability to accurately deduce what he did, despite having almost no training in magic or chakra. However, he didn't want information of his more…interesting abilities getting out to the men; he already had a frustrating time with the Du Vrangr Gata, the Varden's own order of spellcasters and sorcerers, as they constantly hounded him whenever they could to join their group, just like they did to Eragon.

The interior of the tent was silent for a second or two before Ajihad sighed, choosing instead to get to the point of why he called for Naruto.

"I wanted to ask if you could use your sensing abilities to find out how many soldiers we are dealing with here, and whether there are any…abnormalities that would lead to a situation like Feinster." Even now, Ajihad shuddered at the memory when Eragon reported about the Shade the spellcasters of the Empire had summoned in an attempt to cripple the Varden. He understood better than most other people – men, elves, and dwarves – of the terror a Shade was.

After all, it was he who managed to survive Durza and even leave a scratch on the Shade's blade.

And then when the young Rider further mentioned that Vraugr was the accumulation of over a hundred spirits and thus a dozen times stronger than even Durza, Ajihad damn near fell onto his knees, so horrified and relieved was he about the potential disaster that could have happened. It was only because of his many years of being the calm leader that all of the Varden looked up to that prevented him from showing any signs of fear other than a slight twitch of his hands.

Finding nothing wrong with the request, Naruto deactivated a seal as a rush of natural energy surged through him, instantly entering him into his Sage Mode Level 1. Closing his now saffron eyes, the blond harmonized with his surroundings, searching through the medium-sized city that laid just a couple miles away.

By his side, Arya silently gasped unbeknownst to the others as she, with her heightened senses, detected the sudden influx of natural energy that flowed around and through her. Her eyes widened when traces of letters that soon turned into words appeared right before her, yet they appeared blurred and illegible. However, they grew clearer and clearer by the second, only to disappear when Naruto ended his Sage Mode.

" _Just what was that?_ " wondered Arya as she shot a glance towards her companion, resolving to ask what exactly he did later.

"20,000 Belatona guards, 20,000 Empire soldiers, and around 20 spellcasters…other than the spellcasters, it would seem that there are double the number of men and women protecting the city." Naruto said as he reactivated the seal, the colorful pigments defining his Sage Mode quickly fading away to nothing.

"The numbers are as we expected for a city of his size, although I am curious on how you were able to differentiate between the Belatona guards and the Empire soldiers." Ajihad gained a curious gleam in his dark eyes as the others, including Arya looked with interest towards the shinobi.

Naruto mused whether to reveal his ability to sense negative emotions and thus derive their intentions before deciding it probably wouldn't shock them as much of his other abilities did.

xXx

Somewhere in his mindscape, a certain meditating fox twitched his eye in annoyance as he cracked it open, revealing an annoyed blood-red eye. " **Hmph, why do I have a feeling the brat is lowering the value of my abilities? Whatever, I'll deal with him later.** " With that, Kurama shut his eye as he resumed trying to figure out his true name…if he had one that is.

xXx

" _After all, this is a place where reaching into someone's mind is not considered all that unusual. Now that I think about it, Ino would probably kill just about anyone or anything just to study with the elves,_ " thought Naruto, briefly, remembering the bubbly blond that even in the face of death remained so.

At his side, Arya immediately detected the subtle and near undetectable change of expression and feeling her lover sometimes displayed whenever the memories of dying friends crossed his mind. " _Sometimes, I forget that despite all of his god-like power…he is still a new immortal who was raised in a culture where each day was lived to the fullest, since the next day might just be their last. Even now, he still has some problems of letting them go,_ " thought Arya as she intertwined her soft fingers with his own, silently giving him the support she knew he needed…even if he didn't know it himself.

Feeling her hand on his own, Naruto glanced down at their joined hands as he gave a grateful squeeze in return before returning his gaze to Ajihad and Eragon, who was standing next to the leader of the Varden. "One of my other abilities is to detect the general intentions of others. However, I'm particularly sensitive towards those with any sort of negative emotion, such as jealousy, anger, hatred, or even pain. So with it, I can feel the difference between those who simply want to protect their home and those are actively working with Galbatorix."

As he expected, his evolved negative emotion sensing didn't elicit much of a response from anyone other than a nod. Although being able to sense a person's intentions and emotions without having to touch their mind was indeed convenient, in the end they saw it as a weaker version of reading minds.

"I understand now. Thank you Naruto for your help, but there was one other thing I wanted to ask you…" Ajihad trailed off when he saw Naruto raise his hand. When he saw the gesture, Ajihad closed his eyes in resignation, knowing that the chances of Naruto of actively fighting alongside them was low to start.

"You wanted to ask me whether I would join the fight, am I right?" The sage sighed as he palmed his face.

On one side, he didn't want to kill soldiers who were only protecting their home, especially in a war that for once in his life wasn't centered around him.

On the other however…fighting was practically ingrained into his DNA. Even at his age and seeing what he has seen, his desire to fight and battle still remained undiminished. In addition, this war, while not exactly important to him directly, was so to his lover and student/friend/fellow Rider. His help would greatly accelerate the process of freeing Alagaesia from a mad king that reminded him too much of Madara…except so much weaker. In addition, there was his own little situation of strengthening his body further in order to combat Kaguya for control of his own self.

Now that he thought about it some more…

…there wasn't much of a choice.

"Ah, why the hell not." Before Ajihad or Eragon could do anything other than widen their eyes at the unexpected answer, Naruto continued while narrowing his eyes. "However, I will do this my way. Tonight, I will infiltrate the city and meet with the governor of Belatona. When there, I will offer him the choice of breaking the oaths that bind him and his people to Galbatorix and should he accept, I will instruct him to withdraw his men and barricade themselves away as we take care of the soldiers of the Empire. After that, I will join you in the fight for the city."

Ajihad rubbed his bearded chin as he mentally ran the plan through his head, analyzing for possible risks and benefits to the Varden as a whole before dropping his hands back to his side. "So be it Naruto. We'll do this your way, however what will you do if Lord Bradburn refuses your offer?"

The light inside of the tent flickered as a heavy pressure settled in the room as Naruto glanced back at Ajihad, who slightly flinched at the sight. "If he doesn't accept…then I guess the number of targets just doubled," replied Naruto in a flat tone, his usually warm cerulean eyes becoming chips of ice, allowing the others to see past his cheerful exterior and at the cold battle-hardened shinobi that once led tens of thousands of other ninjas.

From Ajihad's side, Eragon strode up to Naruto, stopping in front of him for a second or two before slightly bowing and raising two fingers to his lips.

"Atra esterní ono…" Before he could finish, Naruto smacked down at the exposed back of Eragon's head, almost planting the Rider's face into the ground, and just like that, the tense atmosphere was broken.

"Brat, don't go being all respectful so suddenly." Raising his head, Eragon just rolled his eyes, not really affected by the blow, as he stood back up to his full height: just a few inches shorter than the blond himself.

"You would think with Arya of all elves as your…partner, you would have at least become a little more courteous." Eragon muttered to which Naruto just chuckled as Arya sighed to the side, slightly ashamed of herself for not being able to instill some of the elves' fabled manners into her mate.

"If anything, it's been me that has been influencing Arya-hime…" Naruto puffed out his chest out in pride, only for a leaf green clothed elbow to slam into his side, causing whatever air that was left in his lungs to come gushing out in a ' _whoosh_ ".

Throwing a half-hearted glare at the elf beside him, Naruto was met with a look of complete innocence as Arya gazed back with wide, clear, forest-green eyes with flecks of gold that had lost the haze that once covered them several days ago. A muscle in his jaw jumped as Naruto furrowed his brow towards her, not fooled for a second by her seemingly innocuous expression.

He could just feel the amusement rolling off of her.

As the two had their stare-off, Eragon just shook his head, amused by the couple's open display before they broke off their stare, both chuckling as Naruto turned back to Eragon with his fist raised.

Knowing exactly what the foreign gesture meant, Eragon raised his own fist as he brought it forwards to bump with the blond's, instantly creating a link that managed to convey both Eragon's excitement and gratitude and Naruto's anticipation for the upcoming fight. Their contact lasted only a second before Naruto shot out one last grin as he stepped to and through the tent flap with Arya following close behind him, greeting Saphira who was standing right outside.

With the two gone, Eragon eyes slightly glazed over as he shortly lost himself in his thoughts. The Arya he knew would never do such a thing anytime…or with anyone; nay, elves as a race rarely displayed open signs of affection or friendship to anyone. Coupled with the fact that she was a peerless warrior that kept everyone at arm's length and showed little to no emotion on her fair face…; then again maybe this was the elf's real personality that she kept buried until a certain blond excavated it back to the light.

" _I wonder what life would have been like if Naruto never appeared?_ " Shaking his head, Eragon strode out after them, mounting Saphira as they flew back to their own tent.

Only Ajihad was left in the tent as he sat at his desk, busily drawing lines of attack and defense for the upcoming siege. Due to Belatona occupying a more strategic position of Lake Leona, the largest lake of the Empire, its defenses and war machines were without a doubt more numerous and stronger than those the Varden faced in Feinster.

Speaking of Feinster, Lady Lorana – out of gratitude of being freed from her oaths, and wanting Galbatorix to be removed – dedicated almost half of her forces to the war effort, replenishing the Varden's reserves which was only bolstered by fresh reinforcements from the Urgals, dwarves, and Surda.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away and less than a quarter of an hour later, Naruto and Arya could be seen as they made their way to the edge of the Varden camp, away from all the hustle and bustle that inevitably came from an army near 100,000 strong.

How Ajihad managed to feed all of those mouths…they certainly didn't envy his position.

Stopping at the boundary of the camp where tents and ruined earth met untouched grass, Naruto slowed to a halt when he suddenly gained a rather embarrassed expression. Scratching his jaw, he turned his attention to the elf – could he really call her that still? – as he asked a question he really should have asked earlier.

"You wouldn't happen to know…"

He didn't get to finish when a pair of smooth fingertips tapped the center of his forehead, instantly transmitting images of a portly ferret-faced man with greasy dirt-brown hair along with an underlying sense of aversion towards the ruler of Belatona.

It was something they had discovered after her operation. When they first locked eyes, the couple had felt something between them that wasn't there before. It was only later that they realized that somehow, a bond similar to that between a Rider and his/her Dragon had formed.

Before, whenever she touched Naruto's mind, unless they were both supremely careful, she could easily find herself either completely lost or even mentally lobotomized just from the sheer defenses and strength of his mind; it was as if his mind was programed to unconsciously repel and destroy any invaders. Only when Naruto carefully guided her into his mindscape was she able to touch his.

And it frustrated her. In the few times elves found love with each other, a significant part of their relationships was the sharing and melding of their minds, as it was the most intimate expression of love either could give to the other, aside from telling each other their true names.

But somehow, they had formed a bond as close as any Rider to his Dragon, to which Arya and Naruto hypothesized was because of the resonance between Hagoromo's and Hamura's chakra that once used to be one. The reason Naruto didn't share such a connection with Hinata was due to there not being enough of Hamura's chakra, but with the Ōtsutsuki genes reproducing the brother's chakra, a miracle happened.

Now, she was able to slip into his mind without worry and him into hers, their emotions an open book to either of them. Of course either Naruto or Arya could both block the connection…but they liked the feeling of being in each other's heads, as strange as that seemed.

Kurama didn't count, Naruto and the Juubi might be comrades and friends – as much as the giant fox tried to deny it – but they were definitely not lovers. Nope, definitely not.

Taking her hand away from the blond's forehead, Arya smirked when she saw the arched eyebrow Naruto sent her way, instantly reading the unasked question. "That was for all the times you poked my forehead."

Rolling his cerulean blue eyes, Naruto just plopped down onto the slightly yellowed grass before sneakily snaking his arm around Arya's slim waist, tugging the elf down towards him and grinning at the startled yelp she briefly allowed past her lips before biting it back.

Weakly glaring down at the smirking blond, Arya just sighed before letting gravity to do its work. Steadily falling, the arm at her waist gently guided her journey down until she landed on her side with her head resting on Naruto's shoulder and his warm arms hugging her close.

The background grunting and yelling of men and horses soon faded away as the lovers cuddled, listening to each other's breathing as the pounding of their heartbeats slowly merged into one while silently savoring their last bout of peace before the battle. With their minds connected…there was no need to talk.

xXx

Several hours passed and soon the light of day faded to twilight. As darkness from the new moon spread its wings in the next hour over the land, campfires lit up to stave the chill even as a myriad of lanterns and torches fired up to life on the opposite side on the towering 100 feet walls that surrounded the city and the large castle that towered over the keep of Feinster in both size and defenses.

In front of the Varden encampment and away from the distracting lights stood Naruto, Arya, and Asura, all of whom were perfectly able to see through the dark with their enhanced eyes. Eragon and Saphira, although they wanted to send off Naruto on his mission, stayed with the men instead so as to not rouse any suspicion from the sentries and spellcasters who were undoubtedly keeping a close eye on them.

A sparkling blue dragon that was 100 feet long, even in the dead of night, was still highly noticeable after all.

As Arya stared off into the fire-lit darkness, a familiar voice broke the silence. "Arya-hime, could you try to spot Lord Bradburn?"

Breaking off her stare from the wary city that bristled with men and weaponry, Arya turned her gaze to the side where the voice came from, noticing that Naruto had donned on his white Hokage haori with red flames licking the bottom, before looking back at the castle visible behind the stout walls.

With a steady stream of chakra to her eyes, the Tenseigan flared to life, instantly seeing through men, barriers, and solid rock miles away. A few seconds passed as Arya searched for the Lord of Belatona until she fixed her gaze on a room on the seventh floor of the keep.

"I see him Naruto. But what will you do now?" Arya was curious as the sage still hadn't told her of his plan to meet the governor.

"Remember how my clone teleported you guys from Ellesméra to Dorua Araeba?" The elf nodded, pink dusting her cheeks as the memory of their confession popped up in her mind. "Well, the thing is, is that although I could use Kamui to teleport anywhere, it is much easier to do so when I've either been there or know what the area looks like. In addition, I can also teleport to anyone, although I prefer to use the Hiraishin as that's faster. And so…"

"…with our bond, you will be able to see through my eyes and thus be able to teleport directly into Lord Bradburn's room." Arya widened her eyes at the explanation before narrowing them in playful suspicion.

Sensing her emotions across the bond, Naruto cocked his head to the side that yelled out, 'What?'

"Oh, I was just thinking that this plan of yours was unusually clever of you." Asura exhaled a small plume of smoke through his nose in exasperation at the odd mating ritual of the unscaled. Really, why didn't they just have sex and have hatchlings already instead of all this bickering?

Far more efficient.

The black dragon was drawn out of his thoughts when he felt Arya's presence in their bond grow; suddenly, he was seeing through the elf's eyes.

" _So this is what it looks like._ " Both Rider and Dragon mentally marveled as they saw the sleeping form of Lord Bradburn with the x-ray vision the Tenseigan. While in combat, although such an ability – while still formidable – took a backseat to those granted by the Sharingan and Rinnegan, it far surpassed either of the other dōjutsu in terms of reconnaissance and utility

"See ya later Arya, Asura. Kamui." With that, Naruto disappeared in a swirl as space twisted itself around him.

"Stay safe," whispered Arya, keeping her eyes fixed at the point where she saw the blond reappear right before the oblivious lord of Belatona. At her side, she felt a gentle nudge as Asura bumped his armored nose to reassure his Rider's mate.

"Don't worry about Naruto, elf. There's absolutely nothing in the land capable of harming him unless he allows himself to be hurt." Asura said out loud with complete confidence in his Rider as he observed Naruto use a silencing seal in the room.

"Thank you Asura Brightscales," murmured Arya, still looking out over the miles between her and Naruto.

xXx

" **You know, I sort of miss when it was just you and me in your head.** " As Naruto reappeared right before the rather ostentatious bed of Lord Bradburn, a rumbling voice echoed in the room as Kurama willed his chibi form out of the seal and onto the blond's head.

"Oh? I thought you were still meditating." Naruto asked as he slammed his palms together to apply a silencing seal throughout the room.

" **I was…until I grew bored. I still don't get how you of all people was able to meditate for hours on end,** " answered the fox, not missing the chance to throw in an insult at his container.

"And I don't understand how a giant fox of all beings could have rabbit ears," muttered Naruto before a flood of killing intent permeated throughout the chamber as the small fox tightly gripped pawfuls of blond hair, instantly waking the ruler of Belatona from his peaceful sleep. Muddy brown eyes popped open as the chubby man promptly pissed himself in terror of the killing intent Kurama sent at his friend.

" _Good thing I set up the seal in advance, otherwise the entire city might have woken up._ " Naruto mentally complimented himself as he sweat dropped, unaffected by the 'minor' amount of KI the millennia old fox was leaking out.

"Oi oi, stop that. Anymore and my target might just die from a heart attack," Naruto flicked the fox, quickly pulling back as small, but sharp, teeth snapped at the space his finger previously occupied, just as foam started to spill out from the corners of Bradburn's mouth.

Snorting, the chibi fox withdrew his killing intent. " **Whatever brat. Just get on with it; the stench from the pathetic meat bag is making me sick.** " The sage's nose also crinkled when his powerful sense of smell detected the…unpleasant scent emanating from the man's soiled pants.

"Who…who are you?! Guards! GUARDS!" furiously shouted Lord Bradburn as he struggled up to a sitting position.

Naruto merely crossed his arms as he allowed the terrified man to continue shouting for several minutes until he yelled himself hoarse. On top of him, Kurama had long since covered his sensitive ears with his tails yawned out his boredom.

"You done? Because if you are, we can finally get to talking." Naruto drawled out as he grew a chair with a snap of his fingers before pointing one of those fingers at the near hyperventilating lord. Instantly, a jet of water sprayed out, completely drenching the now sputtering man. On top of the blond's head, Kurama continued to watch with a glint of amusement dancing in his blood-red eyes.

"Y-You…" By now, the terror that once gripped him started to make way to anger as his years of being the lord of one of the largest and most prosperous cities of the Empire started to reassert themselves.

"Yes me. Now as for why I'm here. Are you truly loyal to Galbatorix and the Empire? Or are you being forced to obey through oaths in the ancient language?" Whatever complaints the chubby man was about to voice died out as he quickly realized what the strange man was here for.

"You're with the Varden, aren't you?" Seeing the towering 6'4" man nod, indignation and fury overrode the rest of the terror that once held him.

"Then it is obvious you are here to ask me to stand down. Well, I refuse to do so! You will find no such concession from me, you bunch of filthy and unnatural creatures…"

Faster than the human eye could detect, a repaired Kubikiribōchō was unsealed and placed against the lord's neck, drawing a thin line of blood as the circular razor sharp edge of the Head Cleaver bit into his neck, eager to add another head to its collection.

Tilting his head to the side, Naruto let out a vulpine smile that didn't reach his closed eyes. "I advise you to pick your next words wisely, Lord Bradburn of Belatona, if you want to be shorter by a head." When the quivering man stayed silent, Naruto slightly cracked open his eyes, letting out a baleful purple light from the opening. "Do we have an understanding?" asked the shinobi, moving the giant blade away enough for Bradburn to rapidly nod, the fat underneath his chin wobbling as he did so.

Up above, Kurama arched his eyebrows at the unusual callousness of his friend, not that he minded. " ** _The first and last time I saw the kit like this, it was when some missing-nin called Hinata a demon whore. All that was left of the dumbass was his right index finger, and even then, it was missing a few chunks._** " A sudden feeling made him cock his head towards the Varden encampment before a toothy perverted grin graced his face. " ** _Hohoho, it would seem the brat's show got someone a little heated up. At least that toad was right about one thing…this book practically writes itself!_** "

xXx

Several miles away, a certain elf blushed red to the tips of her pointy ears as she watched her lover's display on her behalf and more importantly felt the sheer amount of love through their bond. Unintentionally rubbing her smooth thighs together in an effort to stave off the unfamiliar warm and itchy feeling she suddenly felt between her legs, Arya cursed, not for the first time in the last month, her hasty oath to never be seen out of her armor.

xXx

"Good, now let's talk." With that, Kubikiribōchō was promptly sealed back into the permanent storage seal right before the uncomprehending eyes of Lord Bradburn, who was on his way to somehow wetting himself a second time at the recent close shave with death. Sitting himself on the Mokuton chair he grew, Naruto waved his hand, gesturing for the other man to start.

Cautiously, Bradburn shifted himself, even though his body and most of his mind screamed at him to do the opposite, towards the edge of his plushy bed, swinging his legs over it to come face to face with Naruto.

"You mentioned before whether I was loyal to either King Galbatorix or the Empire, and then whether I am forced to obey through oaths in the ancient language. Well, the answer is simple; I and my family have been loyal vassals of the Broddring Empire, and will continue to be until the end of time." A proud puff of his chest indicated the lord's smugness of his lineage.

A single twitch of one of the blond's fingers was all it took for that sense of superiority to immediately shatter into a thousand pieces. Loudly exhaling, Lord Bradburn slumped back. "But I have a feeling that's not what you were looking for. You have to understand, I cannot say anything negative about the Empire or the King, otherwise…certain…words will relieve me of my duties."

Several minutes passed as words spilled out like water from a broken container as the governor attempted to speak around the vows that bound him. During that time, Naruto noted although Lord Bradburn was fiercely loyal to the Empire as a whole, his opinion of Galbatorix was less than stellar.

"But even if I was free to choose, do not think you can bully me into supporting the Varden just because of my personal opinions. I know of your unholy alliance with those horned monsters. The fact that you dared to even consider such a thing already speaks of how 'righteous' your rebel group is." Bradburn sneered, gripping the blankets in balled fists as his hatred for the Urgals colored his tone.

For a moment, Naruto merely sat there, staring directly into the other man's dark eyes even as the ruler of Belatona shifted uncomfortably under his quiet gaze. Neither said anything until Naruto softly spoke.

"You lost someone, didn't you?" Bradburn's eyes widened at that. While it was widely known that his eldest son had died due to unnatural causes, not many if any at all knew of his brutal death by the hands of a Kull at the village of Yazuac.

"H-how did you know that? Did you read my mind; no, that's impossible, I had my mental barriers up. There is no way I wouldn't have at least detected your presence." Bradburn panicked, worried that if one of his deepest secrets was so easily revealed, what else could the blond, and by extension the Varden, possibly know?

"I have seen my fair share of loss, and I know the difference between unreasonable hatred and a justified, if well-concealed, fury and rage. And you Lord Bradburn, have a reason for being so." What Naruto didn't say was that when he used his negative emotion detection, instead of the tainted hatred he had felt so much when he was young, it was a sense of resignation that eventually evolved to a cynical loathing to all species not humans.

But as the lord of one of the most prosperous cities in the Empire started, Naruto waved his hand. "You don't have to say anything, as it won't change the fact that the Urgals and Kull are allies of the Varden and haven't done anything yet to warrant their destruction. No, instead I want to reveal a secret that I swear is true in the ancient language." The shadows lengthened as the two men leaned towards each other with only a flickering candle serving as illumination.

"When the Varden was attacked in Farthen Dûr, who do you think Galbatorix sent?" Naruto whispered into Bradburn's ear, deliberately drawing out the moment to give the other man time to draw his own conclusions. "Urgals. Kull. Tens of thousands of them. And at the head of them, Durza the Shade. You say that you hate all others who are not humans, and that you find the Urgals to be especially heinous. Yet you would still ally with the man who not only sent a force of tens of thousands of Urgals and Kull to slaughter men, women, and children, but also had a Shade of all things to lead them? At least they had the excuse that they were being mind-controlled by one of the cruelest monsters in Alagaesia."

By now, Lord Bradburn's entire frame was shuddering as he clutched at his chest, blood roaring through his heart as memories of his fierce and strong son flashed through his mind.

" _Daddy, when I grow up, I'm going to be just like you!_ " He was so cute as a child that he couldn't help himself but pinch at his chubby cheeks and laugh at his adorable pout.

" _Dad, will you be with me forever?_ " It was shortly after his first wife died when his son, only just turned 10, walked up to him with puffy red eyes to ask a question that mended his broken heart. It was then, he decided to spare no expense in his son's education in both the arts of war and ruling.

" _Please father, let me journey around the Empire, even if only for a half year! I promise that once I am back, I will assume my full responsibilities as heir to Belatona._ " It was less than a year ago when, against his better judgment, he yielded to one of the few demands of his firstborn son, the pride of his life. In return, he demanded that his son take at least four of his most skilled knights along with him. Needless to say, his heir took the minimum number, not wanting to stand out too much from the common folk. Even now, he could still remember the wide smile his son had as he waved at him while riding out of the gates.

But when his son didn't return when he said he would, the Lord of Belatona sent out numerous scouts, all in the hopes of finding his heir unharmed and safe…only for them to return with a box.

Then Naruto unwittingly dropped a bombshell, causing Lord Bradburn to nearly break his neck jerking his head up.

"One last thing you should know. Do you know of the Yazuac massacre several months ago?"

" _No, no no no no, please don't say it._ " He pleaded for the man in front of him, whom he now recognized as the God of Slaughter from the reports, to just stop, to let his old wounds go.

Naruto instantly recognized the look in the governor's face, but hid his emotions behind a cold mask. " _I'm sorry, but it has to be done in order to lessen the casualties on both sides._ " If it was his younger self talking, there was no doubt in the blond's mind that he would have either immediately stopped talking and tried to comfort the distraught man, or continued to bulldoze through without noticing the other's expression.

But he was no longer young; he knew exactly what he was doing and while he wished he didn't have to, all the other options would have revealed more of his abilities or involved some kind of mind control, which he refused to do.

"When Eragon Shadeslayer passed through the village, he later told me that despite his distaste for their race, they were not the kind of monsters to spit an unborn baby on a spear. Instead, when he killed Durza, some memories were imparted to him and he found out that those Urgals did so under his command, and that command…" Hot, salty tears gathered at the corners of Lord Bradburn's eyes as they silently begged for Naruto to stop.

He didn't.

"was sanctioned by Galbatorix himself." Although Eragon never actually told him of this, the memories Naruto had extracted just a few weeks ago contained a casual disinterest to what actually happened to the smaller villages and cities. In fact, there was even a moment where Galbatorix actually encouraged Durza to sweep through the smaller populations in order to make them more reliant on the Empire for 'protection'.

To say Lord Bradburn was devastated was like saying the desert was dry. There was no word to describe what the portly ruler of Belatona was going through; it was in Yazuac where his scouts discovered the horrifying scene that could only be called extreme brutality at its highest form.

A mountain of bodies rose above them, the corpses stiff and grimacing. Their clothes were soaked in blood, and the churned ground was stained with it. Slaughtered men lay over the women they had tried to protect, mothers still clasped their children, and lovers who had tried to shield each other rested in death's cold embrace. Black arrows stuck out of them all. Neither young nor old had been spared. But worst of all was the barbed spear that rose out of the peak of the pile, impaling the white body of a baby.

Just the details they gave horrified him and made him sick just to even contemplate the thought. But it only grew worse when he slowly opened the box…to see the terrified eyes – no, _eye_ , the other empty cavity sporting tearing that he had seen on countless other corpses when the carrion flew down to feast – of the head of his son, so pale and cold compared to the warm healthy bronze when he first left. " _We're sorry, milord, but that was all we could find of the young master,_ " was what they said, their gazes pointed away from their lord and the deceased heir.

It was then his perception of all things not human turned to hate. While before he merely disliked the other species and was cautious of them, now disgust and rage

A keening howl ripped out of his throat as the barely healed wounds of Lord Bradburn were torn open with all the finesse of a rusty dagger, his family-old loyalty to the Empire clashing with the newly revealed fact that his king was the one indirectly responsible for the brutalization of his firstborn, the heir to all of his titles. As much as he wanted to deny everything Naruto had just said, the fact the blond had sworn in the ancient language rendered any possibility of fabrication impossible.

On the side, Naruto had long since moved to the open window to peer out into the star-ridden night sky with Kurama just napping as he waited for his target to calm down enough to continue their talk. Finally, as the sobbing winded down into halting snivels, Naruto turned back, his once cold eyes turning soft at the sight of a father mourning for his son and filled with confusion and rage towards the man he owed his loyalty to.

The bed creaked as its owner slumped back, mentally exhausted by the facts revealed on the eve of battle with his supposed enemy. Just a few days ago, everything was so clear. The Varden was the enemy and was to be destroyed if only for their unholy alliance with the Urgals, elves, and dwarves. But then reports came in in how they spared his fellow ruler of Feinster and most of her men. And now this!

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto's eyebrow rose in surprise at his name; despite his widespread infamy, only a few actually knew of his name – Galbatorix being the only one not allied with him. Yet, from what his clone disguised as a spider, he knew that the humiliated king didn't and wouldn't dare to share such information…if only to avoid showing any signs of weakness. Then again, it wouldn't be too surprising for a stray whisper to have made it to the governors of the Empire, or for said king to hide certain facts regarding his utter defeat in favor of the infinitesimal chance of getting him killed.

His thoughts were interrupted as Lord Bradburn shakily drew in another breath. "Even if I hate the king, you must understand that it is impossible for me to support the Varden in this battle due to oaths I swore."

"I know, but what if there was a way to break them? After all, just how do you think Lady Lorana was able to command 10,000 of her men to aid the Varden?"

Naruto let the offer he had been building the entire talk towards silently stand, watching as a host of conflicting emotions swept across Bradburn's face, from sheer disbelief to wary hope, until settling on one.

Conviction.

Notes:

Hello everyone, I realize this is not that great of a chapter (and probably due to just coming from the GRE, damn test) but I do hope you guys find it alright. Next-Battle of Belatona!

Jiton – Magnet Release


	62. Battle of Belatona

Chapter 61

Golden lotus-patterned eyes flickered to the side in time to see the night air distort as a tall, spiky blond man with a chibi fox on top appeared without a sound.

"Welcome back Naruto, Kurama" Arya spoke out in her musical voice, dipping her head respectfully to the Juubi, as she quickly slipped her small hand into her lover's.

"I'm back Arya." The fox merely grunted his greeting as Naruto gently brushed her knuckles to his lips before landing a swift peck on her own, causing her to faintly flush in return.

A noise that could have been mistaken for distant thunder grumbled behind them, causing Naruto to turn around and chuckle. "And don't think I forgot about you Asura." His other hand swiftly rose to a small patch of leathery skin between the dragon's metallic scales before roughly scratching away at it. Immediately, a content rumbling that shook the ground as Asura practically purred, closing his eyes in satisfaction even as his Rider sweat dropped.

" _Are you a cat or something?_ " Shaking their heads, the couple jumped onto Asura's neck where there was a saddle for two – recently gifted to Naruto from Oromis for saving his and Glaedr's life – before settling in with Arya's arms around Naruto's waist, not bothering to use the belts built into the saddle in favor of using chakra.

Sealessly creating a shadow clone, Naruto ordered it to Ajihad, who even now was waiting for a report of the talk, to tell him of what transpired. He had a feeling that the stoic man would be widely grinning before the dawn came.

Once the clone shunshin'd away, Asura turned his rippled eyes away from the city and tensed, bunching his powerful hindquarters before shooting up into the night sky. Quickly, the group found themselves a kilometer above the ground with Asura idly flying towards the elf's mostly abandoned tent.

Silently, the four flew with the only sound coming from the whistling wind; neither Arya nor Asura needed to ask about the meeting as they were keyed into it the entire time. Ever since they had discovered their mental link to each other, all of them had experienced and shared several of their memories with each other, both the painful and the joyful ones, to the point that they could have held an entire conversation with just their eyes alone…though they both much preferred using their voices.

Shivering a little in the chilly night air, Arya hugged herself closer to the blond, who just quietly smiled at her action, to ward off the biting chill before resting her flushed cheek against his broad back.

It was in this way they arrived in front of her tent near the outskirts of the camp as Asura made sure to soften his landing in order to not overly jostle his passengers.

"See you tomorrow for the battle, Asura." Chuckling at the excited gleam in his dragon's rippled eyes, Naruto spun around to face Arya, only to feel his breath hitch at the sight of her angelic features and flushed alabaster cheeks from the cold. Slowly, his azure eyes slipped down to her slighted parted lips, turned pink from their usual coral red, before climbing back up to her deep forest green eyes with small flecks of brilliant gold that burned back with equal desire, her earlier arousal making itself known to the blond.

"Beautiful." Naruto uttered as his fingers traced along the smooth curve of her jaw, eliciting a small shiver from Arya as he brushed over a particularly sensitive scrape near her chin.

"Naruto…" whispered Arya before her velvet-soft lips crashed against Naruto's. Grasping at the blond's hand with one of her own, Arya stared back with half-lidded eyes as she snaked her other hand around his muscular neck to deepen the kiss.

It was something Naruto noticed. Although he was usually the one to initiate their more intimate moments, it was Arya that typically took them further. Other men might have taken it as an insult to their 'manliness', but to Naruto, he was more than happy to let the elf take the lead in this.

Besides, what exactly was there to complain about a goddess like beauty coming on to you herself?

Below, Asura groaned as his passengers essentially used him as a make-out seat as they began to kiss, which grew deeper and more passionate by the minute as their hands began roaming about each other's bodies. A tic mark started to form near his horns as the couple showed no signs of moving or at least sparing him of the sight of his Rider and mate locking lips.

Just as Asura was about to just toss them off his back and into the tent, even if it meant risking his Rider's displeasure – he was a dragon damnit, not a loveseat! –, Naruto apparently felt that a more comfortable setting was due as, while still respecting her vow to never be seen out of her armor, he suddenly picked Arya up in a bridal hold and darted into the tent, the folds closing behind them for a more…extensive workout.

" _Finally, they got off my back. A second longer and I would have just thrown them in there, damn the consequences._ " Just as he laid down on his belly and closed his eyes to rest, loud moans, both male and female, erupted out from the tent, causing the now 75 feet long dragon to let out a groan of his own, only instead of pleasure it was of pure vexation.

Slamming his head into the ground, armored paws closed around his ears as he mentally blocked out his connection to the rather loud lovers, hoping only that they would fall asleep sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately…

…the young dragon was in for a long night. Neither needed much sleep – Naruto with his ungodly stamina and Arya being an elf, a race that barely required extended rest in the first place, and now part Ōtsutsuki – which forced the poor dragon to eventually fall into a fitful slumber to the sounds of the intense make-out session of his Rider and his mate.

xXx

"Forward men! Into the breach!" Yelled Eragon as he led the charge of the massive Varden army through the recently blown up gates, courtesy of a certain blond, as Saphira and Asura flew over the ramparts to start the slaughter. Seeing the eager look the black dragon had made the young Rider smile with nostalgia as he briefly remembered when a much smaller Saphira, even smaller than Asura now, had a similar look in their first real battle in Farthen Dûr.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as black-fletched arrow whizzed near his cheek before being deflected off by an invisible force. Snapping his head in the direction from where the arrow came from, Eragon cursed his stupid moment of carelessness before bounding up at the spotted archer. The last thing the wide-eyed archer saw was the impossible sight of an elf-like human _running_ up the 20 feet stone wall before everything faded to black as an iridescent sapphire blade cleaved him in two.

Meanwhile the elven spellweavers, who doubled as additional firepower and as Eragon's/Saphira's personal guards, bemusedly stared at their charge as he leaped back down and rushed to join the two dragons who already painted the streets red with the blood of the Empire's soldiers.

"So this is what Naruto-finiarel has been teaching Eragon-finiarel." Blödhgarm noted in amazement along with the others as Eragon sprinted and fought at speeds that made him appear as a blur even to their sharp eyes. Even them, who were considered as the best, both physically and magically, would have had a hard time moving as a fast at a dead sprint, never mind incorporating such extreme velocity into combat itself.

"Blödhgarm-elda, just look at how Shadeslayer moves as swift as the wind and yet with the precision of an arrow!" One of the male elves, Wyrden, exclaimed in admiration as they swiftly followed Eragon through the gates.

"Indeed Wyrden-vodhr, the young Rider has truly grown strong. But do not let your awareness slip. Even if he may surpass most if not all of us physically, he and Saphira can both still be brought down by a stray bolt or spell. So…wards now!" yelled out the indigo furred elf as hundreds of arrows from the secondary inner wall covered the sky, promising death to anyone caught without wards or a sturdy shield.

Nodding, several of the elves called out "Ne oroya!" to deflect any arrows coming at the Varden host while the others threw up barriers against possible spells designed to penetrate such wards for the Varden, Eragon, and the dragons.

Less than a second later, the rain of projectiles smashed against the elven wards, some merely being deflected while others were reduced to splinters which injured some but killed none of the rebels. For an instant, nothing made a sound except for the clattering of arrows on the stone pavement before a thundering cheer shook the air as men, fully expecting to meet their end from the arrow storm, roared out their joy of living another day.

"Thank you master elf/We appreciate the help." As they passed into the city and the elves, both the army men and the Varden's own spellcasters tilted their heads towards the fair elves, the former just grateful for their survival and the latter due to being able to save their energy reserves.

A few meters away, Eragon gave a short nod of approval to the elves, glad that they were serious about their promise of devoting their efforts to the Varden as a whole rather than to him and Saphira alone.

A pair of shadows overlapping with his own was the only indication of the presence of the blond shinobi with a fox on his head and a raven/platinum-haired elf that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Not even the air was disturbed enough for him to detect with his enhanced senses.

"Hey Eragon! How's the fight going?" But before he could yell back a greeting, several spears shot towards them, the spearmen taking advantage of the seemingly unsuspecting trio.

They couldn't be more wrong.

As the first spear approached, Eragon stretched out his arm to grab at the offending projectile before spinning about to preserve and add further momentum to his imminent throw. With a shout, he hurled back the spear back and through its owner, violently pinning the man through his leather jerkin and into the wooden wall several meters away.

Grimly smiling at his throw, Eragon turned around in time to see Naruto slightly tilt his head to the side, causing the spear to whiz past his cheek by millimeters, and then throw… _something_ big wrapped in bandages at the two remaining men while Arya merely stood still, unruffled as her own spear missed her by several inches.

What puzzled the young Rider was why his blond teacher, someone he never saw miss – no matter how far or fast the target was – unless he wanted to, so casually threw his weapon, as unusual and large it was, to the enemy. Surely the two remaining spearmen would dodge…

Only for his eyes to widen in horror and amazement as the sword, if he could even call it that, unbound the bandages around itself, revealing hundreds of dark bluish grey scales running down its entirety until its hilt, at the base of which was a small skull. If that was all, Eragon would have simply arched an eyebrow at its unusual appearance before dismissing the sword from his mind; he had after all seen many strange and unusual things during his time with the elves and especially with Naruto.

However, he most certainly could not ignore the fact that where the point should have been was instead a giant mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth that uttered a small squeal of delight as it proceeded to enlarge and rapidly engulf both of the now screaming men. A second or two later, the two men's cries of pain were silenced as a sickening cracking sound of bones and tendons echoed out across the bloody street.

Eragon watched with revulsion as the _thing_ , this monster disguised as a sword, chewed up its prey a few times before starting to flop back like a seal to its owner, who he noted only had a slight hint of exasperation on his face. When Samehada started to pass by him, the sword suddenly paused, its still bloody mouth gaping open as if tasting the air, before whirling on him with a wide grin.

Instinctively, Eragon's sword-bearing arm slashed upward towards Samehada, intent on slashing through its scales and ending the abomination…only for _Brisingr_ to be stopped cold by one of the protruding scales that stuck out from its body.

" _GIGIGIGI._ " Somehow, the Rider knew he was being laughed at. But before he could send additional chakra into his arms and his sword for another strike, a tanned hand quickly plucked at the giggling sword's hilt.

"Now now Samehada, bad boy," chided Naruto as he flicked a scale near the gaping maw. For a second, Eragon worried whether Samehada would attack the blond when it growled at Naruto for disturbing its fun, only to nearly drop his sword when the scaled beast started to purr like a cat after the sage channeled some of his potent chakra into it.

As Naruto slowly petted Samehada, Eragon slowly pointed a shaking finger at the strange sight. "Just what is that beast?"

Arching an eyebrow at his student, Naruto briefly paused before continuing. "Well Eragon, this is Samehada, one of the seven most famous and powerful swords from where I came from."

Eragon shot a dull look at Naruto before replying in a bland tone. "That's not a sword."

A loud growl filled the air, making Eragon tense in alarm. "Hush, you're upsetting him." The surrounding elves and dragons sweat dropped when they saw the powerful blond increase the rate of petting and chakra to the insatiable blade, immediately calming the sword down.

Turning to Arya didn't help as the elf just calmly held onto the hilt of Islingr (the other elves, and Eragon to a lesser extent, still had a hard time believing that the sword of the first ever Rider was gripped just a few feet away) while keeping an eye all around them.

"Now I do believe we were in the middle of a battle. Shall we go in with a bang?" Excitement gleamed in his cerulean eyes as he hefted the sentient blade over his shoulder and leapt onto the saddle, with Arya close behind him. Even though the men of the Empire posed as much threat as the insects beneath his boot, he was a shinobi in the end.

And all shinobi, especially him, enjoyed a fight, especially ones as large as this.

Without waiting for Eragon, the three blasted off high into the air without a care for the cloud of arrows heading towards them. After all, why should they? No blade or arrow could hope to even come close to penetrating Asua's metallic hide, which was further reinforced by Naruto's Asura path. And the thick river of chakra running through the dragon deterred all but the most powerful of spells from even affecting him.

As for Naruto and Arya? Nothing had to be said.

Eclipsing the secondary wall that separated the castle from the rest of the city, Asura roughly landed on the battlements, his powerful claws effortlessly tearing away the wood and stone that had existed for almost as long as the city had. Any unfortunate soul that stood between said wall and claw met their end as red smears, unable to even be recognized for who they were.

Once done with the men on the wall, Asura snapped his head downward when more spears were thrown up at him, only for them to be deflected back to the ground. A sinister grin appeared on the dragon's face as as he gazed at over 10,000 men in steel and leather armor who all uneasily gulped down their fear.

" _Hmmm, these must be the reserve forces Bradburn was talking about._ " Naruto thought as he quickly scanned the area, noting how several of them were bashing at the reinforced castle entrance. " _Good to see Bradburn kept his word. Oi furball, want to stretch your legs?_ "

A lazy red eye opened before closing. " _I have no interest in these sorry excuses for insects._ " Shrugging at the expected answer, Naruto turned to his companion.

"Shall we, Arya-hime?" Naruto asked as he readied Samehada.

"Do you even have to ask?" A chuckle ran through the blond at Arya's blunt retort, making the elf flash her own small, but eager smile. "Always."

And with that, the mind-linked trio pounced on the men like wolves on sheep.

xXx

Meanwhile a distance away, Eragon, Saphira, and the elven spellweavers opted to lead and reinforce the men of the Varden in securing the rest of the city and routing out the remaining several thousand imperial soldiers that stood in the way of victory.

" _I wonder where Naruto and Arya went,_ " thought Eragon as he charged at the densely packed men after leaping off of Saphira, who continued on to bowl over and either outright kill or maim anyone in her path, while reinforcing his body with chakra to cushion his landing.

Eyeing the wall of spears, swords, and shields in his path, Eragon hands blurred through a single seal before muttering the jutsu Naruto taught both him and Arya two weeks ago.

"Henge no Jutsu." Eyes widened and then narrowed on both sides as Eragon transformed himself into an innocuous little rock, the same rock Eragon first coached Naruto with while teaching him about magic and the ancient language and subsequently was nailed with until he managed to get the jutsu to a single seal.

Piercing through the small gap between the shields of the soldiers, Eragon disengaged the transformation while spinning in a full circle, relying on his superhuman strength and the keen enchanted edge of Brisingr to slash through both armored and unarmored throats, blood spraying out like a water fountain and staining the air crimson.

Without waiting for the men to respond, Eragon threw himself deeper into their ranks. For a second, the red armored men stood still, their eyes bulging at the sight of a man turning into a rock…and then back while reaping the lives of half a dozen of their comrades in a blink of an eye.

And then in the next instant, the nearest were yelling, their swords raised to slash and stab at the Rider while those a step further away shuffled backward to reform the line, their spears, pikes and shields beginning to form an impenetrable shield wall formation.

It was all for naught.

Light on his feet, Eragon seemingly danced forward, his momentum combined with his flowing swordplay allowed him to effortlessly slice through metal, leather, and bone. So swift was he that not even a single drop of blood managed to stain his armor.

Upon seeing the closing formation, the man turned Rider stooped low to where the shields didn't reach, cutting through the fragile ankles of the men while ignoring the cries of pain and fright that echoed in his sensitive ears. It was hardly the 'proper' of way of wielding a sword, but his training with Naruto had beat all such naïve notions out of his young mind.

Leaving the crippled men to the Varden, Eragon plunged deeper into the now chaotic formation with Saphira at his side as they carved their way through the Empire's men. Before he gained control of his chakra network, the soldier's reactions would have seemed slow and clumsy to him, but with the energy of shinobi coursing through his body, the same men appeared to be standing still as he cut them down with impunity.

With a bellow, 100 feet long sapphire dragon leapt forward, stomping half that number of men into the unforgiving ground as she let loose a searing inferno of blue and yellow flame from her maw that only grew larger as she waved her head from side to side, instantly turning those caught in it to ash and leaving only a few alive as they were protected by the Empire's own spellcasters.

" _There's only one reason for only those men to remain unaffected by Saphira's fire._ " Eragon narrowed his eyes before yelling out at his dragon.

"Saphira!" Even though Eragon merely pointed with his eyes at the survivors, the dragon knew exactly what her Rider meant. Roaring, the hulking beast barreled her way towards them, batting away anyone that stood in her path.

Once dealt with, the surrounding soldiers quickly panicked at the loss of their captains and commanders before falling to the Varden who had by then caught up. Right behind Eragon, the elven spellweavers searched with their minds for the twenty spellcasters they were informed of while protecting each other's minds from being exploited in a stunning display of coordination and trust.

Before long, Eragon and Saphira were standing at the second, and last, gate that lead to the heart of Belatona, the castle of Lord Bradburn. Even as he raised his shield to block several arrows coming at him Saphira snorted, simply moving her bulk in front of her Rider and blocking the projectiles with her body. The arrows that once would have decimated softer parts like her wings no longer bothered her as a combination of wards and her natural durability prevented her from feeling anything but a slight prick or two.

"Saphira, cover me!"

"What do you think I'm doing Little One?" Saphira sarcastically grunted out, swatting aside a platoon of soldiers who foolishly tried to drive off the duo from the gate.

Eragon just chuckled before first stabbing Brisingr into the gate to determine whether there were any enchantments reinforcing it. Finding none, Eragon sheathed his sword and tossed his shield onto the ground before splaying his hands on the over one ton reinforced oak gates.

With a massive grunt, Eragon's armor bulged in the back and seemed on the verge of splitting as the young Rider pushed, the heavy wooden entrance slowly inching back. With a final growl, he transferred chakra throughout his body before giving one last heave, the once reluctant door slamming open with a resounding _boom_.

Immediately leaping back while plucking his discarded shield from the ground, Eragon ducked beneath it while leaning down, allowing his entire body to be protected by the shield from the impending retaliatory attacks…only to feel nothing but the cool, bloody breeze…wait!

Snapping his head over the rim of the shield, Eragon's arms dropped to the side as he gazed what he could only describe as absolute carnage. Broken swords, daggers, spears, pikes, and shields beyond count littered the ground across the courtyard and the perimeter of the castle with their owners lying beside them. Stepping over a corpse, Eragon noticed the various wounds that ended their lives: clean cuts, burns, blunt trauma, and decapitation to name a few. And then there were some that looked _shaved_ , for lack of a better term, to ribbons.

It slightly unnerved him, to realize that over half of the Empire's soldiers were slaughtered not a few meters away, and he didn't even notice. Granted, he wasn't actively sensing them, but still. It did explain however why most of the other elves had sickened expressions during the several hours of fighting to get to the inner gate.

"Yo Eragon! You guys finally arrived!" In the middle of the sea of blood and guts was a familiar blond, Samehada back in its bandages and on his back and was currently waving at the Dragon Rider pair, with Arya, who merely bobbed her head in greeting before going back to cleaning her sword, by his side as they sat on a napping Asura's neck, waiting for the rest of the Varden to arrive.

At this point, Eragon wouldn't have been surprised if ten times the number of men were killed after having witnessed his teacher annihilating 5000 men in less than a few seconds back at the Burning Plains. So instead, the younger Rider marched past the gore and bodies towards the trio – no quartet now that he could see the fox on top of Naruto – as Saphira made small talk with Asura.

"Hey Naruto and Arya, I assume the three of you were responsible for all of this?" Eragon questioned as he scanned the area for any potential threats, not that he expected any considering who slaughtered all of the men.

"Actually, it was Arya-hime over here who did most of the work. She seemed quite eager to test her new abilities in the field while Asura and I just bonded over our first fight together." Asura hummed underneath them in approval while Arya whacked her mate over the head with her sheath, muttering "you did not have to reveal that Naruto.'

Realizing the battle was basically over, Eragon's tensed nerves loosened as he let out a loud laugh at the antics of the three. Walking the last few steps between them, Eragon clapped a hand his hands on both Naruto's and Arya's shoulders.

"Then let's go-" Eragon began as Arya's eyes widened, the Tenseigan blazing back to life as she snapped her head towards the castle gates. Leaping off of Asura, the elf narrowed her eyes as she gazed through the last pair of gates and its one-foot thick oak.

Flashing to her side, Naruto asked the question they all had. "What do you see Arya that's gotten you so spooked?" Closing his eyes, Naruto sent out his senses, only to heavily frown when he felt _something_ vile, something so bloodstained that if tossed into a river, the waters would have run red for weeks.

"I see that you felt it." Arya sighed, filled with a sense of shame towards her race as she kept her eyes on the human currently charging through the corridor behind the castle entrance before uttering…

"A Dauthdaert."

Behind the pair, the elves widened their eyes in slight disbelief before readying their weapons and spells while Eragon looked in confusion, not knowing what this Dauthdaert was.

"Ah, I see." Naruto murmured, understanding why the elves around him suddenly radiated shame. With a hollow boom, the gates flew open with a cloud of smoke, causing the nearest Varden to cough and cover up their faces.

Soon, the drumming of iron-clad hooves against the paving stones filled the air as a horse and its rider burst through the center of the smoke. In his left hand, the unknown horseman carried what Eragon initially took for as a common lance, until he noticed that instead of common wood and metal, it was made of a strange green material and had a barbed blade forged in an unfamiliar pattern. The faint glow surrounding the head of the lance further betrayed that the 'common lance' was anything but common.

As the rider charged at them, Naruto turned to Arya. "Should I handle this, or do you want to?"

Without any hesitance, the strongest elf stepped forward, blocking the path towards both Asura and Saphira.

"I will." Shrugging, Naruto backed up to where Eragon and the elves were forming words on their lips.

Holding out his arm, Naruto called out, "Don't interfere, she's got this." For a second, Blödhgarm looked as if he wasn't going to listen as the traces of an animalistic snarl appeared on his feline face. That soon changed when his bestial instincts suddenly screamed at him to shut up when Kurama, who had been napping the entire time, cracked open an eye in irritation at what he considered an inferior product of shinobi.

"Besides, she doesn't need any help, see?" As the elves reluctantly stopped their chanting, Naruto waved at the rider who tugged on the reins and angled his steed towards Saphira and Asura, ignoring the elf in his path as he fully intended to run her over. Opposite of him, both of the dragons tensed in preparation for the fight; it's not that they didn't trust their friend to protect them, but rather as a precaution should anything happen.

In response to the man's charge, Arya lifted a hand, her palm opened to the sky, as her Tenseigan began to glow with a radiant light. When the lancer was but a few feet away, Arya suddenly clenched her hands into a fist, her fingers squeezing tightly together as a sudden screeching sound filled the air.

" _Damn, that move reminds me of Gaara…only she doesn't even need sand or anything really to crush someone._ " Naruto thought with morbid fascination as he watched the poor man get telekinetically crushed into a bloody ball of pulped flesh and steel. Without direction from his rider, the horse came to a gradual stop as the unidentified Dauthdaert fell and bounced against the paving stones, sounding more like pottery than metal.

Off in the distance, several screams of pain rang out as the brains of the spellcasters who were shielding the charging knight forcibly exploded from the amount of energy needed to protect said knight from the immense pressure Arya used.

"…I believe those were the remaining spellcasters." Blödhgarm noted after witnessing the gory display of power from his princess, only for his ears to twitch at the sound of hurried steps of leather boots on stone.

As the men of the Varden rushed to surround the potential threat, Naruto and the others walked over to Arya who was examining the fallen Dauthdaert, its barbed tip still glowing a faint emerald.

"Which one is it Arya-svit-kona?" Blödhgarm questioned as he too knelt to examine the arcane lance.

At her elder's question, Arya took one final glance over before answering. "If I am not mistaken Blödhgarm-elda, its name is Niernen, the Orchid."

It was at this point Eragon remembered what exactly a Dauthedaert was from one of the texts Oromis had him read. Recoiling back in disgust, Eragon unconsciously let out a snarl that Saphira beside him reciprocated, obviously infuriated to see the weapon that those present at the time swore that 'the dragon's blood rained from the sky like a summer downpour'.

"But I thought all of the Dauthdaertya were destroyed or lost beyond recovery?" Eragon asked.

"Obviously we were mistaken. It would appear that Niernen was at some point passed into the hands of the Waldgrave family, and they must have kept it hidden here in Belatona." A frown marred Arya's fair face as she turned to Naruto.

"But love, didn't Lord Bradburn agree to keep his men from the battle and allow us to take care of the Empire unopposed?"

Several pairs of eyes flickered to Naruto for answers. However, just as he was about to answer, several city guards with the Waldgrave insignia surrounding a certain portly lord hurriedly filed out of the open gates, who were swiftly circled by the men of the Varden.

"Well speak of the devil…wait, let them come. We have an agreement with Lord Bradburn after all." Naruto yelled out at the rebels.

"As you wish God of Slaughter." The blond sighed as he heard his title; he couldn't well deny it right now considering the over 5,000 dead men around them.

"Naruto Uzumaki, thank you for not killing us right away, but I had to come to apologize for what happened." Lord Bradburn said, his face a slightly green due to the gore filled surroundings, his men doing little better as they resisted the urge to throw up at the gruesome death of the Dauthdaert wielding knight.

"So just what did happen Lord Bradburn, because I clearly remember you swearing on your departed son that you would keep all of your men in the castle and let us handle this." The air seemed to thicken as the elves focused their glares on the Belatonan men.

"That wasn't me. By the time I was told of this, it was already too late and the Dauthdaert my family kept as an heirloom was taken. Please, it was never my intent for any of your dragons to be in danger!" The lord of Belatona pled to Naruto to understand that he had nothing to do with the unexpected attack.

"And I believe you." Naruto really did. He had already read the man's aura and knew he wasn't being lied to. "As promised, none of your men were harmed and your family will remain in control of Belatona."

A loud exhale could be heard as Bradburn closed his eyes in relief, grateful that the God of Slaughter was not some unreasonable thug looking for the smallest excuse to kill them. Gulping, he brought up the next item he wanted to discuss. "And what about Niernen? Will the lance my family has kept for almost hundreds of years be returned?"

This time it wasn't Naruto that answered, but Eragon who had a rather scary look on his face. "No, you will not be getting the Dauthdaert back. Not only because such terrible instruments of war should have been destroyed long ago, but because that accursed lance could have seriously harmed or even killed Saphira." Eragon shot back with a steely tone.

"But-" Lord Bradburn began until Naruto abruptly interrupted him.

"I'm afraid I agree with Eragon on this. Such a horrific weapon should never have fallen into anyone's hands. It was good to see you again Lord Bradburn." Naruto interjected as he leaped back onto Asura's back, Arya following suit less than a second later, Niernen in hand.

For a moment, it seemed as if the governor would protest. Finally, he decided to cut his losses. "Farewell Naruto Uzumaki, and thank you once again for…giving me closure."

With a last nod, Naruto turned to the elves and Eragon in particular. "We will be returning to the camp. Ajihad should know the city has been secured."

Nodding back, Eragon paused before asking one last question. "And what of the Dauthdaert?"

Glancing back at Arya, Naruto saw her shake her head before he turned back. "Let's decide what to do with it later Eragon, at least not with so many eyes and ears around us."

"Will do Naruto. See you back at camp, all four of you." Eragon waved his hand as he leapt onto Saphira's back to to rat out any last remnants of the Empire, the elves following close behind as they fulfilled their duties as guards.

Cracking the paved ground, Asura surged up into the sky, swiftly flying up until Belatona was but a small speck on the ground. Not directly heading towards the Varden, Asura flew around the area, stretching his cramped wings after having fought in a restricted area for so long.

As he did, Naruto leaned back with his hands behind his head. "So…why exactly haven't you destroyed Niernen yet? From out link, I could feel the disgust and shame you held when you laid your eyes on that Dauthdaert. And even though it has been extensively enchanted to resist magic, your Tenseigan would crumple that lance as if it were paper."

For a second, Arya didn't say anything, eyeing the baleful weapon in her petite hands, before revealing her intentions. "I plan on using Niernen during the final fight against Galbatorix, or more specifically against Shruikan himself. I know you won't be fighting alongside us against the mad king, and I understand why." She sealed the lance in the storage space that Naruto had inked onto her hand before hugging him around his waist when the blond turned away, feeling slightly guilty of his decision for not being overly involved.

"This was never your fight; you had no reason to help us. But you did, and for that I and the rest of Alagaesia are eternally grateful for your aid." The elf tightened her hold on Naruto when she felt his warm hands envelop her own. "And because of that, it is only right that we, the denizens of Alagaesia, fight the last fight ourselves. As such, as much as I hate to admit it, we need the Dauthdaert. For all the increases in mine and Eragon's strength, we are still outmatched against Galbatorix, even with Blödhgarm and his elves. After the king and his dragon are dead, then I will destroy it."

"I see." Naruto closed his eyes while sighing, "I'm sorry that I will not fight alongside you all in the final battle against Galbatorix and that forcing you to use a weapon you obviously loathe…" A slender finger pressed against his lips, preventing from saying further.

"Remember, no one blames you. And you did not force me; I decided to do so." Arya said softly before gently kissing Naruto's cheek. Silently, the couple leaned against each other, their eyes shut and their chakra instinctively active, as they spent the rest of the time in the air just enjoying each other's presence. Meanwhile, Kurama unsummoned himself with a poof of smoke, clearly not finding the cool air at the high altitude they were flying at to his liking.

And with that, all was well.

It was already near sunset when they began to descend as Asura's metallic black scales shone dully in the dying light. Cracking his eyes open, Naruto noted how Arya was still resting as he gradually raised his arms above his head, softly groaning in pleasure as several of his joints popped.

But just as he was about to wake her, a voice filled with urgency blared through his head.

"… _boss, Boss, BOSS_! _Do you hear me? We have a problem!_ " Recognizing the voice to be that of the clone he left on Galbatorix, Naruto's faintly foggy eyes instantly regained their clarity.

" _I hear you, just what happened that has you so alarmed?_ " Naruto shot back, for some reason already dreading his clone's answer. It was something he realized recently; he had been randomly getting strange feelings, feelings he just could not explain. But his thoughts grinded to a halt when the spider clone replied back.

" _Galbatorix just massacred the citizens of Dras-Leona._ "

Notes:

Hey guys, hope you've all been well. I've been having pretty bad writer's block but I hope this chapter isn't too bad. I tried to write more about Eragon this time around, considering well…he is the main character of the Inheritance series after all. For those who have been asking, I plan on finishing this arc within at most 5 chapters…and that's already stretching it. And as always, please leave a review if possible, thanks!

Ne oroya – no arrows in the ancient language

Henge no Jutsu – Transformation technique


	63. Destruction

So I have a question guys, should I continue to use the Japanese spelling of jutsus, or should I switch to English ones? Or even a mix? Also wanted to know if there was a preference of miles over kilometers or the other way around; thought it would be useful to be consistent. Either pm or leave a response in a review! Ah well, enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 62

Silence.

That was Naruto's answer to the horrific piece of information his clone just shared with him. He did not start yelling out in horror and anger as his younger would have done. Instead, he subtly isolated his mind to prevent the other two, especially Arya, from sensing his turbulent emotions.

" _Did you get anything else from Galbatorix, and why did he order the people massacred?_ " Naruto mentally messaged back, his fingers almost denting Asura's armor with thinly suppressed anger.

He didn't have to wait long for the spider clone to respond. " _By the Log, he's a madman Boss. But perhaps massacre wasn't the right word, but it might as well be one after what he did to the general populace._ "

" _What exactly do you mean that massacre isn't the right word?_ " Naruto frowned at the clone's unclear answer as he wondered what exactly it meant by its ominous words.

" _What you have to understand is how badly you scared Galbatorix after destroying him several weeks ago. Before he focused on seeking only how to strengthen himself; now he seeks only to find ways to extinguish everything you hold dear. And considering you fought him to protect Oromis and Glaedr, he deduced that you hold the Varden in general close to your heart._ "

" _You still haven't answered the question…_ " Naruto started before the clone interrupted him.

" _I was getting to that. While he could just come out and destroy the Varden singlehandedly, he is absolutely terrified of you. So he needs to find a way to destroy the Varden without coming into direct contact with you. And to do that…he broke all of the civilians' of Dras-Leona minds – it wasn't hard for someone like him – before turning them into unfeeling monsters: men, women, and even children! So many, that their sheer number would have dwarfed the quantity of soldiers present during the Battle of the Burning Plains!_ " The clone finished as it sent several memories of what the king had done to his own citizens, showing his creator how Galbatorix utilized the ancient language to twist the minds of Dras-Leona's population into bloodthirsty creatures while taking away their sense of pain, even as the king and his dragon beat a hasty retreat back to their stronghold.

" _That bastard!_ " Viewing the images, Naruto carefully controlled rage broke through the barriers he had set up earlier against Asura and Arya as if they were wet paper, dousing the two with the fury he felt at the atrocities Galbatorix had committed just to get to him.

Startled at the sudden rush of anger through their bond, Asura nearly cracked his sinuous neck whipping his head back in concern, only to feel a shiver run down his spine at the sight of two icy cold eyes radiating carefully controlled killing intent.

Behind the blond, Arya jerked her head up as she violently awoke, her sword already an inch out of its leather sheath.

"Naruto, just what…!" Whatever she was about to say was abruptly interrupted when Naruto's fingers, faster than even what Arya could perceive, zipped through the air to hit the cluster of nerves at the back of her neck.

"W-why…?" The last thing Arya saw before her vision faded away was a sad smile from her lover, which only further confused her as to why Naruto attacked her.

Catching her falling form as she blacked out, Naruto clasped his hands behind her back into the Snake seal and whispered, "Mokuton: Moku Bunshin no Jutsu!"

As a wood clone grew from his Rider, Asura felt confused, having only felt Naruto's emotions, but not what caused them. " _But why and to what? Never have I seen such rage from Naruto, not even when Umaroth and the other Eldunari tried to subject him to their will._ " And so Asura attempted to feel what was wrong through their link, only to encounter a strong, yet permeable barrier that, upon further observation, seemed to filter certain thoughts or emotions from him.

If the dragon only suspected something was wrong, now he was getting seriously worried. Ever since their bonding, never have either of them denied anything short of full access to each other's minds, except for a few light shields so as give each other, along with Arya, a measure of privacy.

" _But for Naruto to suddenly close off his mind not just to me but also Arya, something is going on_ ," thought Asura as he cautiously sent a mental tendril towards the barrier. However, before he could do so, a voice broke the silence.

"Asura, are you battle ready?"

The black metallic dragon started for a second at how emotionless Naruto sounded, so different from his warm and inviting self before quickly answering back, "Chakra levels and stamina levels are nearly full; the battle did not consume much energy and whatever was spent I quickly gained back. No injuries whatsoever."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Naruto turned to the oblivious elf who even unconscious, still shone with an inner light that dazzled all who beheld her. Leaning down, Naruto gently parted her silky waist-length raven-platinum locks from her smooth forehead before kissing it, a sad smile breaking his impassive expression as he did so.

"I'm sorry Hime, I know you would follow me anywhere, no matter the price or consequences…but this is something I don't want you to even see, never mind helping me in," Naruto whispered as he trailed his callused fingers along her defined jawline before glancing at the clone who tilted its own head before disappearing in a flash of yellow and instantly reappearing in Arya's tent.

Laying the unconscious elf on the one bedroll, the wood clone proceeded to kneel down in the seiza position beside her, waiting for her to inevitably wake up. Sighing, the clone knew full well that when Arya woke up, she would not be pleased. While she would never attempt to hurt Naruto due to anger – unless he did something really stupid or intentionally provoked her, which now that it thought about it was exactly what his creator did – she would definitely not hesitate with a mere clone due to her…previous experience.

And the last time it checked, a combination of Jōnin-level chakra control, telekinesis, already greater than Kage and approaching Shukaku's chakra reserves, and an instinctive use of Tsunade's monster strength technique made for one hell of an attack. If it were a shadow clone, it probably would have already run for the hills, but for some reason, wood clones seemed more professional and even in the face of impending doom, it stood steadfast.

Back in the air, Naruto sighed before loosening the barrier between him and Asura, allowing the report and memories his clone had sent earlier to flow over to his dragon. Although Asura cared little about people other than Naruto, Arya, and Eragon, it infuriated him that the mad king would commit similarly brutalize another race as his own. Before he could roar out his wrath, a comforting presence touched his mind. Instantly recognizing his Rider's signature, Asura rapidly calmed down as his previously foul mood quickly dispersed.

As he comforted his dragon, Naruto softly muttered, "Asura, the Varden is not ready for such a fight, especially when their opponents are not soldiers prepared to die, but mere citizens turned mad. Many of the Varden are merely regular people who have been forced from their homes and should they be ordered to kill their fellow civilians…" The blond gently gripped one of Asura's spikes as he gave his chilling evaluation.

"They would break." A moment of quiet passed before Asura spoke.

"Yes, they would, and from what I've seen from your memories, the process, at least the madness part, is irreversible. While you could restore their senses…the mind is a fickle thing. And your control over time is not fine enough to insure that they won't just turn back into hatchlings. The only solution is…" Asura trailed off, not liking the solution he arrived at any more than Naruto did.

"…to end them." Naruto finished his dragon's sentence as his fists clenched over a pair of kunai he had at some time unsealed while denting the tough metal with his fingers. Calming down, Naruto took one last look over at Arya's tent before turning down to Asura as his eyes shifted to the Rinne-Sharingan.

"Even though I didn't want to overly interfere with this war, this is a task only I can undertake, and that I am responsible for. I wish I could also send you away for this, but your oath in the ancient language binds you to follow me in whatever I do." The dragon nodded in confirmation, staying silent to let Naruto finish.

"Asura, should we do this, our names may go down in Alagaesia's history as the worst butchers of this era. Although it hardly matters to me as I'm not originally from here, this is your homeland, the birthplace of your species. I could still break that oath, to avoid staining your claws with the people of Alagaesia. So I must ask, are you with me Asura?"

Asura's ringed eyes glowed like lava as he grimly replied, "To any end, my Rider." And with that, the pair vanished from the sky.

xXx

It was an ordinary summer evening for the second largest city of the Empire. As the blazing sun sent out one final ray of orange and crimson glory before vanishing behind the horizon, a sliver of the moon that once subjugated the world slowly revealed itself as a retinue thousands of twinkling stars followed close behind.

As the land gradually became bathed in the pale silvery glow of the moon, the waters of Lake Leona took on a shimmering quality as the waves of the largest lake lapped against the colossal city wall and grand port of the city. The only blight that ruined the idyllic view was a black three-peaked mountain over a mile high that seemed to suck in all light a small distance south-west of the city, Helgrind.

All in all, it seemed all was well.

Two miles above the the mountain's highest peak, a distortion appeared as Naruto and a near 100-foot dragon emerged back into Alagaesia. Glancing down, Naruto scanned the area where he first encountered and then killed the Ra'zac as they feasted on human flesh to see a medium group of people, which included what looked like several priests and a contingent of slaves striding over to the mountain.

"Now that I think about it, perhaps I should thank them. After all, it was because of them I got caught up in this mess, found a beautiful woman to love, and even become a Dragon Rider. You hear that Asura?" Naruto briefly mused as he glanced away, eliciting an amused snort from his bonded dragon, before wincing and shielding his eyes when he shifted his gaze back to Dras-Leona and Helgrind.

"I almost forgot just how foul the city and that mountain were," muttered Naruto, clearly remembering when he first laid eyes on them while lifting the seal that prevented natural energy from entering his body. As the facial characteristics representative of his Sage Mode Level 1 emerged, the blond arched an eyebrow at the numerous signatures before focusing two particular ones. "From what Eragon said about his experience with the Ra'zac, their parents, the Lethrblaka, also dwell inside the mountain. So that would explain the two relatively large signatures of…Bijuu chakra?"

Naruto's eyes grew wide as he realized just what he was sensing before closing his eyes to concentrate on the two orbs of energy, only to open them a few seconds later. "No, it's not Bijuu chakra; while dark, the malevolence I felt was from the creatures themselves, not their chakra."

By now, Asura and Naruto had rejoined their minds – although both maintained the mental barriers between them and Arya so as to not alert the elf maiden. While Naruto was now preoccupied with feeling out the minds of Dras-Leona's citizens, Asura noted the thousands of life signatures scattered within the mountain. While he wasn't all too worried by the regular grunts of the Empire, the sheer number of chakra signatures, which meant spellcasters, made him cautious.

"Naruto, did you notice the number of spellcasters within the mountain? There are almost 200 of them in there alone, not to mention the over 100,000 poor souls within the city itself." Both of them shut their eyes for a moment, clearly remembering the horrific feeling Naruto felt when he opened himself to the world.

"Yeah, I did. Don't worry, remember the memories I ripped from Galbatorix? Well, I applied them to both you and me while you were asleep several days ago. With our far more potent chakra, you should be a tank against both physical and magical effects involving well…just about anything. Despite being one of the worst human beings to ever exist, he was a genius in creating wards against almost anything that could remotely harm him." Naruto grudgingly admitted.

Although at first he had viewed magic as an inferior form of jutsu from the Elemental Nations, over time he had seen the true potential of the art. The only reason it hadn't been discovered was because nothing in the land had enough energy or power to truly render it powerful…until Galbatorix came along with his legion of Eldunari.

However, the energy costs needed for truly reality warping spells grew exponentially, rendering such impossible feats outside the realm of even Galbatorix and his Eldunari. The last time such power was used was by the most powerful of the Grey Folk who almost destroyed Alagaesia with an uncontrolled spell. It was only after they had somehow bound magic, or the chakra hidden behind the first of the Eight Gates, to the ancient language was magic able to be controlled. Unfortunately, the energy requirements to do so left their race as a whole diminished until they all but died out millennia ago.

" _Pity, it would have been an interesting fight,_ " mused Naruto as he reapplied the seal blocking natural energy from entering.

"I see, so how should we do this Naruto?" questioned Asura, fully trusting Naruto's word as he continued to hover above several miles in the air.

"…You take care of the ones in the mountain. I know you've always wanted to fight something else that could fly, so the Lethrblaka should do nicely. As for me…" Naruto hopped off the saddle before starting to hover towards the city that spanned around 50 square miles. "I will take care of the people."

Watching as his Rider raised the hand that held proof of their bond, his palm that was marked with a white sun stretched towards the star filled heavens, Asura asked one last question.

"Will they feel anything?"

A sad smile crossed Naruto's face as a dark blue basketball sized Rasengan with tiny wind blades swirled into existence almost instantly above the gedwëy ignasia on his right palm.

"No."

xXx

Along the dirt road that lead to the dark mountain and completely oblivious to the Dragon Rider pair that hovered several miles above them, a procession of black-robed men and women slowly marched to the object of their obsession, Helgrind. Their robes flapped in the evening breeze, revealing their hidden truncated forms: one was missing a forearm, two were missing a leg each, and the first of their company was missing an arm and both legs, and was carried by oiled slaves on a small padded litter.

They were the devout followers of Helgrind, a religion in which its disciples practiced self-mutilation and drank human blood in order to 'enlighten' themselves and grow closer to the spiritual plane by severing their physical attachments to the mundane world. However, few outsiders knew that Helgrind itself was not what they worshipped. No, rather it was a who, the ones residing within its gloomy interior.

The Ra'zac.

For centuries, ever since the founding of Dras-Leona itself, the cult of Tosk has revered the Ra'zac and their mature form, the Lethrblaka, offering human sacrifices for them to devour. And tonight was such a night as the priests and their acolytes led almost twenty slaves freshly bought from the massive slave market before a certain king _converted_ the rest earlier that day.

Breathing in the crisp night air, the armless, legless, toothless, and seemingly sexless figure who was carried on a bier by six oiled slaves at the head of the group tilted its head back and uttered a gruesome, gurgling whistle once they were in ten feet of the mountain.

Instantly, the men and women following him stopped as the six slaves carrying him also came to a halt. Like a well-oiled machine, all of the slaves sans the ones carrying him were shepherded to the side of the mountain by the disfigured priests and acolytes, their eyes dull and glazed over due to being drugged beforehand.

One might think that the human followers of Helgrind would show even a small sign of mercy, that in at least one of their eyes there would be a small flash of disgust or anger for sending their fellow men, women, and even children into the meat grinder.

But no. Instead, there was only a fervent zeal and fanaticism in the eyes of the disciples of the cult as they ushered their victims to the front.

Finished, they fell back behind the limbless _thing_. Eyes like chips of obsidian, the deformed creature opened its toothless mouth to call out in a strange, oddly accented dialect to them.

"Fellow followers of the Old Ones, we stand here today before the majesty that is Helgrind, home of the Gods, to pay tribute!" A clamor ran through the crowd before they were quieted when their limbless master continued with a hate-filled voice.

"It was on this day, four months ago when the two children of the Old Ones were murdered, ambushed by a golden demon as they feasted on our offerings. But instead of facing the just wrath of the Old Ones, he fled like the coward he was! All of Helgrind shook when the Old Ones raged as the murderer disappeared without a trace. But do not worry my children, for with our sacrifice, the Old Ones shall feast and grow stronger than ever! And with that strength, they shall find the killer, devour him and have their revenge!"

Slobber and spittle began to drool out from the demented High Priest's gray gums as he uttered a spell in the ancient language to rip away his leather robes, revealing a disgusting and horrific sight. Aside from his missing limbs, whole chunks of his flesh were missing as jagged scars lined across his mutilated body.

"Rejoice, for tonight we shall have the greatest of honors and receive the blessing of the Old Ones! After all, who could ask for anything more than to feed our god with the marrow of our bones? As Tosk wrote, so shall it be!" roared the High Priest, his eyes filled with the inner fire of a fanatic as those around him also bellowed out after him, "As Tosk wrote, so shall it be!"

For centuries, the High Priests and the most devout followers of the cult have sacrificed their flesh and blood to the Old Ones, known as the Lethrblaka, either when they had reached the end of their mortal life or were faced with an impossible adversary. It was said that the stronger the prey, the stronger the Lethrblaka would become.

And the High Priest was no fool; when he heard the rumors of the 'God of Slaughter' and his physical attributes, he instantly connected the man to the murderer of the Ra'zac. But what could he and his priests do against someone who was possibly stronger than Galbatorix himself? So, when he received news of Belatona falling via a scry message from one of his priests in the city, the mad priest decided tonight was the night that the Lethrblaka feasted on his body and his some of his most powerful followers.

By the end of the night, the Old Ones will have reached an unprecedented level of power after devouring the most powerful of High Priests in the religion's history.

In the dark caverns of Helgrind, a scuffing of leather on rock echoed throughout the mountain. Slowly, but steadily, the sound grew louder and louder as whoever was making it drew closer to the source of the religious cacophony. The soldiers and mages of the Empire felt themselves freeze in utter terror as their bodies reacted to the stifling invisible gas the two massive beings emitted.

Soon, two of the darkest denizens of Alagaesia arrived at a seemingly solid wall and right outside was the only living thing growing on Helgrind: a single innocuous blue flower. However, that same flower was trampled in the next second as a massive four-clawed foot tore at the stone floor, its owner phasing through the illusive wall to reveal their terrible forms to the world.

First, a deadly sharp beak, seven feet in length, appeared, then came a pair of dark iris-less eyes the size of a man's fist that looked up at the softly glowing moon with undisguised disdain before casting its gaze over the path leading to its and its mate's nest. Seeing the large gathering of humans, the first Lethrblaka saw the nude form of the High Priest, realizing that tonight was one for both feasting and strengthening

With a screech of delight, the Lethrblaka lunged into the sky, fully revealing the rest of its terrible physique underneath the pale rays of moonlight. A giant bony crest extended from above its hunger-filled eyes, forming an elongated skull suitable for bashing men and stone alike into pieces. Thick, corded muscle formed the neck that connected its enormous head to its body. One could say that the body structure of the first Lethrblaka to be similar to that of a dragon around the size of Asura, if said dragon had the appearance of a starved, furless dog and had thick leather skin instead of scales.

As the first of the Old Ones soared to the ground with its leathery wings, a second one swiftly emerged from the same entrance, only this time as large as Saphira herself. For a moment, the moon itself was blocked from view by the behemoth beasts before the ground shook beneath their considerable weight as they landed just a few feet away from the crippled man.

Instantly, all of the followers of the Book of Tosk, except for one, knelt down with their heads all but buried into the earth as their gods were present just a few feet away from them. Although the High Priest couldn't physically kneel, his absolute devotion to the Lethrblaka was obvious when what was left of his body trembled not in fear, but in supplication to the centuries old creatures.

A hot puff of putrid air blew across his face as the two Lethrblaka leaned in close to the disfigured human. Ignoring the fear gas exuding from them, the High Priest called out on the ground, having long been dropped by the terrified slaves, "It is time, my Gods, for our flesh to join with yours. After this night, all of Alagaesia shall bow in misery to you."

Although the Lethrblaka had lost the ability to speak upon achieving their mature form, they retained their keen intelligence, and thus knew what the odd human was saying. Despite being the item of their worship for centuries, they felt nothing for the humans before them other than a small annoyance that the quality of the next meal would be far less than the one right here.

Without any signs of hesitation or remorse, both of the razor-sharp beaks of the Lethrblaka swiftly rose up before speeding down towards the High Priest. His mind, the only part of him that was mostly whole, tracked the two beaks' progress, no doubt a side effect of learning to deconstruct spells on the fly, before shutting his eyes to wait for the end.

One second passed…then two…then another until the unnamed High Priest cracked open an eye to see two black beaks less than a centimeter from his forehead and ribs. While ecstatic at the chance to be so close to his deities, a frown of confusion marred his aged face.

"Old Ones, what…" His voice petered out when he spotted something at the corner of the Lethrblaka's bottomless eyes; a small spark that shouldn't have been possible when light itself seemed to reject the creatures. Then he heard it; a terrible screeching noise that numbed his mind and made his entire body to tremble with instinctive fear.

Whipping his head back, his dark eyes widened when he saw something equivalent to a spinning star with blades…

xXx

Far above the earth hovered Naruto as Asura watched in awe as the relatively small Rasengan suddenly expanded to almost half his length. As it did, the four tiny blades of wind that spun around the orb also grew to monstrous proportions, each almost as long his tail.

" _How…beautiful, and to think this is not even 0.1% of his base power_ ," thought a captivated Asura as he felt his instincts flare to life as they all screamed at him to put as much distance as possible between him and the swirling wind shuriken of destruction. But he didn't. Instead he strove to imprint the sight into his brain; all dragons had an innate appetite for destruction, and the hatchling of the strongest dragon was no exception. Despite having seen the same attack through their bond, it was one thing to see it from a memory, but quite another to witness it right in front of his ringed eyes.

Not to mention that the attack was much larger and felt far more potent than the one he witnessed before.

Then came the sound.

Wincing at the sudden shrieking of chakra-enhanced wind grinding upon itself, Asura narrowed his eyes at the radiant attack, puzzled as to why they weren't in the middle of a tornado or hurricane right now despite the furious maelstrom of mere meters away from him. Reaching through his mind, the dragon realized the only reason why he wasn't being flung around like a rag doll was because his Rider was also calming the wind around them, preventing a natural disaster from forming.

His attention was distracted when he heard Naruto's voice cut through the terrible noise.

"Rest in peace, citizens of Dras-Leona – Fūton: Kaze Rasenshuriken!"

With a sigh, Naruto cocked his arm back before throwing one of the most powerful jutsus while in his restricted base form at the unsuspecting city below. Streaking across tens of miles in the blink of an eye, the evolved spiraling sphere slammed into the tallest structure in the city.

It was karmic justice that the first structure destroyed would be the church of Helgrind.

xXx

Much like Asura, the High Priest and the Lethrblaka all stared at what they mistook for a star as Naruto threw the deadly jutsu like a Frisbee.

…if said Frisbee was capable of drilling city-wide holes and shaking the very foundation of continents.

In the first second, it glowed with the intensity of a dying star, still several miles above the ground.

Then in the next, it suddenly reappeared like a bolt of lightning over Dras-Leona, right above the giant cathedral of his order. Except, this time the sheer size of the 'star' became known.

" _The damn thing is almost twice the size of the Old Ones in front of me!_ " While in his mind nothing could surpass the holy ancient two, it didn't stop him from feeling the cold grip of fear around his aged heart.

When he saw the giant Rasenshuriken about to contact his ornate church, the deformed priest mentally sneered, confident in his belief. " _How foolish, to attack our holy place. Even Galbatorix would have trouble causing a dent on it with the hundreds if not thousands of wards engraved into the very foundations. It…_ "

BOOOOOM!

A thundering boom echoed across the land as a bright multicolored barrier several feet from the three spires of the church flashed into existence before the wind enhanced Rasenshuriken sliced through it like a hot knife through butter. Once through, the giant shuriken of energy plunged deep into the structure, killing anyone and anything in its path before finally detonating, instantly enveloping the entire holy place of the Ra'zac in trillions of minuscule wind blades.

If he had knees, the High Priest would have fallen on them. But he didn't. Instead, his lower jaw fell to the ground, his black eyes wide with absolute horror as the centuries old place of worship turned into mere dust until even that dust disappeared from existence as the wind blades annihilated it down to the atomic level.

"I-Impossible…the wards…Ancient…!" Whatever he was about to say was drowned out when the swirling dark blue wall of Naruto's godly chakra abruptly exploded, covering the entirety of the second largest city of the Empire in a bright white light.

For an instant, the world itself went silent.

There were no screams as the mad citizens dissolved, their very blood shredded from existence.

No grinding of stone or metal was heard as the earth itself vaporized under the jutsu's terrible power.

Not even the lapping of waves from Lake Leona as its waters evaporated upon contact with the wind blades.

There was only a pure, incandescent white light as night became day as Naruto's technique tore and swallowed Dras-Leona and its inhabitants.

After a moment, the colossal swirling sphere of wind blades reached the perimeter of the city before encasing its proud metal gates. However, it did not move one inch more, much to the relief of the priests and Lethrblaka. Then as quickly as it came, it disappeared, caving in on itself while leaving only smooth gaping hole where once one of the wealthiest and heavily populated cities occupied.

But the force from the blast could not be contained to the city alone; it had to go somewhere. And so the earth for miles tossed and turned as an earthquake rumbled across all of Alagaesia. The winds howled as they tore through the sky towards the area where tons of air were displaced by the jutsu, forcing the kneeling priests and foul creatures to clutch at the ground to prevent themselves from being dragged along and torn apart by the sheer pressure. Even the heavens seemed to part as the few clouds that floated up in the sky shattered.

Soon the ground around them ruptured, catching most of the priests and their sacrifices off guard before dragging them screaming into its crushing embrace. Helgrind, the tri-pronged mountain that had housed the leathery creatures and their ilk for centuries trembled as the many wards built up over the years could do nothing against the natural disaster resulting from the overcharged Rasenshuriken.

No doubt the spellcasters of Helgrind never expected for an earthquake or attack capable of easily destroying the bedrock and surrounding earth the black mountain rested on.

Several minutes passed after the High Priest utilized a spell to stabilize and shield himself while the two Lethrblaka dug their hindquarters into the ground to fly to safety, only to pitch forward as they hung on for dear life, unable to take-off due to the unstable ground as Alagaesia continued to tremble.

xXx

Unknown to the rest of the world, an ethereal green portal materialized miles away from Dras-Leona as the giant Rasenshuriken formed in the sky, before abruptly ejecting a girl with ashen-grey hair onto the grass-ridden ground. Immediately stumbling onto her feet, she wildly looked about for any signs of her pursuers, vibrant emerald green eyes flashing in the dark.

After several seeing nothing emerge from the plains that stretched for as far as her eyes could see, the young woman let out a relieved sigh she didn't know she had been holding before collapsing backwards onto her rear. Soon, a small chuckle made its way out of her crimson lips as she stared up at the clear starry sky.

Words caught in her throat when she observed an unusual star, far brighter and different in shape compared to the others around it as well as those she had seen from other worlds.

"What is that?" wondered the girl before seeing it slightly move. Stars weren't supposed to move, at least not so much that she could see it happen with her bare eyes. Thinking it must have been a slight hallucination brought about from sheer exhaustion, she rubbed at her eyes before looking back up again.

…except this time she witnessed the same 'star' unexpectedly appear above the large city she could see in the distance.

"Oh bollocks…" anything else was drowned out as she watched the city simply be erased from existence before the resulting shockwave flung her meters away, knocking the wind out of her. Already near the edge of unconsciousness from the chase, the force from the blast of wind pushed her over the edge into the warm darkness.

Little did the foreigner know that she was probably the luckiest one, for though bruised and battered, at least she was alive

xXx

To the east, a certain elf's eyes flew open as small tremors struck the Varden encampment, ignored by all but the most sensitive of sleepers. As she shot up from her bedroll, Arya activated her Tenseigan, scanning the area to discover the wood clone who she initially thought to be Naruto still sitting in a seiza position.

"Naruto…" started Arya until she narrowed her eyes, having seen through what the clone actually was. A cyan green glow began to surround her clenched fist as her slender frame shook with the force of her anger and feeling of betrayal.

"Arya, I won't apologize for what the Boss did, but I promise that he did not do it to harm you. He just didn't want you to see him do the deed…that only he could do," pled the clone to his Boss's partner to make her understand that Naruto only wanted to protect her conscience, and more selfishly her image of him.

The fist that was pointed directly at the clone faltered for a moment as its owner furrowed her brow in confusion, the link between her and lover still blocked. Before she could ask what it meant, the wood clone pointed a finger towards her, its tip just barely brushing the deceptively soft skin on her forehead.

" _The Boss is gonna hate me for this, but he should know deception is not the answer in a relationship._ " Instantly, Arya's mind was filled with images of what Galbatorix had done to the citizens of Dras-Leona. Her beautiful face, marred only by a slight scrape along her jaw, became one of fury. Despite the terrible deeds the mad king had committed in the past century, this was by far one of the most monstrous.

However, those images were soon replaced by what Naruto decided to do and what ultimately led him to knocking her out. Seeing her expression turn to one of sorrow and grudged understanding, the clone took advantage of it to press its case. "The Boss did not want you to stain your hands with the blood of the innocent people of your homeland, Alagaesia. Better for him to take the eventual fallout, considering he's not from this continent and won't be here for long after the war."

Sensing Arya was waiting for it to finish, the clone continued. "But there is another reason, it's because…"

"…because that loveable blond idiot thought he was responsible for Galbatorix's transgression, that it was somehow his fault that he beat Galbatorix and Shruikan to within an inch of their lives, and therefore thinks he is the reason for the demise of Dras-Leona." Arya finished as she rubbed her temples with a hand; although considerably less angry at Naruto, she was still highly annoyed at him for both concealing the matter from her and knocking her out.

The clone sighed, its outer layer already turning bark-like as it prepared to disperse itself, but not before an alabaster hand shot out to grip its wooden forehead. Before the clone could question why exactly its forehead was being gripped rather tightly by her, it began to sweat when he saw her dreaded sweet smile.

"Now now clone, although Naruto may have blocked me from his mind, _you_ still have a connection to him. So do not resist…or do. It won't matter in a second." The wood clone at this point could have been mistaken for a water clone with the amount of sweat that was flowing down its body. Before it could protest, a powerful force forced its way through its mental defenses, not that it tried to defend itself.

All the poor wood clone could do was offer a short prayer for its creator before blacking out.

xXx

After what seemed like an eternity, the earth finally settled even as the tearing winds finally ceased. Only then did the deformed priest and two Lethrblaka dared to open their eyes, only for them to become the size of dinner plates as they took their first look, dumbfounded, at the full extent of the destruction.

In place of a prosperous city of a hundred thousand was a miles deep crater. Even now, Lake Leona was decreasing in depth as hundreds of thousands of gallons of water poured unceasingly from the connecting trench. It was as if the fist of a god – if said fist was shaped like a perfect sphere – had punched Dras-Leona into oblivion, leaving no trace of the city or its citizens behind.

And that was not even including the surrounding area.

Deep fissures covered the land like cracks on a broken china plate as far as the mortal eye could see encircled them, their depths pitch black.

Not even the mile high Helgrind escaped unscathed; two of its three peaks had collapsed, the black stone that had stood since the beginning of Alagaesia turned to mere piles of shattered rock. The soldiers who were encamped within were unwitting victims as the solid walls and unyielding floors closed in around them, squeezing most of them to a pulp.

Looking around, the trio noticed that they were the only survivors except for a few who managed to escape with their lives behind them, if their groans of pain was of any indication.

For a few seconds, the High Priest continued to shield himself, before utilizing a spell that allowed him to levitate for short time, but time enough to see how the cataclysm rendered his life's work to shambles. Not even the precious hidden eggs of their gods, stored and protected behind hundreds of wards deep beneath the church, had survived. For once in his life, he didn't know what to think or do as he stared out with blank eyes, his slack jaw flapping loosely in the wind.

The two Ancient Ones were no better. They had survived the terrible Ra'zac war that had reduced their great numbers to merely them and their eggs. They had managed to bargain with the mad king to allow them and their hatchlings to survive, and while humiliating, they endured.

But this…

They could not endure this. The Lethrblaka were said to be just as intelligent as the dragons and in the corners of their dark minds, they knew for all their power and reputation…they were but ants compared to whoever caused the disaster. Turning to each other, they silently came to a decision.

Hearing a deafening shriek, the High Priest turned just in time to see the idols of his worship frantically launch into the sky, their huge leathery wings wildly flapping as they tried to flee as far away as they could before the being in the sky took notice of them.

"Ancient Ones! No, come back! The killer of your progeny is right there, just…!" The words died in his mouth when he saw something the Lethrblaka only now seemed to sense as the smaller of the two whipped its head up to survey the new threat. However, it was too late.

Like a flaming meteor, a nightmarish dragon covered in spiky metallic armor that was as black as hell itself bolted down from the heavens with scorching flames flaring out from under its wings, causing the dragon to be a blur of crimson and black to those watching. And was that four wings?

Before either the priest or Lethrblaka could form another thought, the fight of their lives was upon them.

Not bothering to slow down, Asura continued to plow ahead, his head lowered and the deadly sharp spines on the ridge of his snout pointed upwards, prepared to gore into the leathery hide of his foes.

But here, the vast experience of the two Lethrblaka showed itself; despite Asura getting the drop on them, both managed to just barely dodge out of the way of the otherwise fatal blow, their more flexible bodies proving their worth. So instead of their innards being splashed against the remnants of Helgrind, only a few flecks of blood were drawn as the razor sharp spikes along Asura's body managed to scratch at the tough hide of his foes.

Screeching their pain and eternal hatred for all dragonkind, the Lethrblaka bolted as swiftly as a freshly loosed arrow towards the young dragon, their 7-foot beaks – capable shattering the finest of man-made swords and resistant to most magic due to the wards Galbatorix personally applied – each aimed at what they knew to be weak-points of a dragon, specifically the eyes and the wings.

Wheeling about midair, Asura lazily glanced at his two opponents. " _I guess that crazy man's and fox's training was worth it; compared to those giant meteors and tails, they might as well be hovering in the air_." With almost contemptuous ease, he subtly adjusted his body such that the beaks would impact his scales.

With a harsh _clang_ , the two beaks clashed against the nigh impenetrable armor of Asura. Beaks that could have rended the scales off a lesser dragon were deflected, lighting the night with a spray of sparks. Taking advantage of their instant of stillness, the black dragon ignored their scrabbling claws as he lashed out with his own lethal claws, easily carving another three bloody furrows through the tough leather armor of the bigger one.

Smiling at the screams of pain, Asura suddenly grunted when he felt two large and heavy tails impact his metal armor: not in pain, but in slight surprise at the sheer strength behind them.

While not enough to truly injure him, it was more than enough to slap the air out of him as he was knocked away, tumbling through the air for several seconds before righting himself

Taking the opportunity to break away from the pinwheeling dragon, the ancient creatures used that time to catch their breaths, both cursing the scaly lizard from preventing their escape. They were both committed to killing, or at least crippling, the impudent hatchling, having seen both his sheer speed and his Rider's power.

They knew it was hopeless to try to escape. From their last clash, they had been injured, something that should have been impossible unless…their wards were down or somehow the dragon was enchanted to ignore them.

They didn't like either possibility.

Their only chance lied with killing the young dragon and then hoping the backlash from the broken bond would incapacitate the Rider, enabling them to make a quick escape. There were thousands of areas for them hide in and no matter how powerful the killer of their children was, it was simply impossible for him to search every nook and cranny of the continent.

With one last look at each other, the two once again charged at Asura, their dark brown bodies nearly invisible against the black of night.

"YES, COME!" Asura madly howled in excitement, the bloodlust he only showed in battle radiating out in a red aura around himself. Puffing out his chest, the jagged scar that ran from the base of his neck to his stomach glowed a flaming orange and red as he prepared to unleash a technique he created several days ago.

The Lethrblaka, having fought during the Ra'zac war, were well acquainted with the motion…as well as what was going to happen in the next few seconds if they didn't get out of the way. Without their wards, even if they had a certain resistance to flames, getting directly hit by dragonfire was not something they wanted to experience…again. Breaking off their charge, the two swerved towards the remains of Helgrind; while the collapsed mountain was no longer the towering formation it once was, it would provide ample enough cover from dragon-fire.

Narrowing his ringed eyes at the sight of his prey fleeing behind the broken mountain, Asura merely grinned as he opened his maw, displaying two rows of razor-sharp teeth, each as long as a man's leg…as well as two curious pipes sticking out from the back of his jaw.

Inhaling one last gulp of air, Asura coaxed his flames up the mechanical tubes he had created using the Asura Path, forcing them to condense as a blinding light built up over the two openings.

Just as the Lethrblaka disappeared from his line of sight, Asura roared out before unleashing two blazing torrents of concentrated infernos. Back on the ground, the High Priest could feel his lips start to chafe as all of the moisture in the air instantly evaporated from the sheer heat radiating from the twin lasers.

In the blink of an eye, the superheated blasts impacted the mountain…only to melt through it as if it weren't there. Swinging his head about, Asura watched in satisfaction as he effectively sliced the mountain in half, leaving a trail of magma red before shutting his jaw, ending the beams. For a second, the remnants of the peaks of Helgrind stood tall, only for the top half to collapse to the ground in an explosion of rock shards. Instantly, any cries of pain from the surviving few were silenced.

Having half a mountain fall on you tends to do that.

Finally, when the dust began to settle, he smelled something…something familiar.

Roasted flesh.

Soon, a keening cry rang out, echoing off of the ruined peaks. When the air cleared, a horrifying scene came into view; half of the smaller Lethrblaka's carcass laid smoking on the ground, its one dark eye blank and unseeing. Its other half rested several feet away, speared on one of the tips of the mountain like some kind of macabre Christmas ornament. Beside it was its larger mate, the source of the keening.

For for the first time in a thousand years…it was alone. He was the last of his kind.

There were no eggs…no hatchlings…and now no mate. When he died…the Ra'zac would truly be extinct, as they should have been hundreds of years ago.

Breaking his gaze away from his deceased mate, the last Lethrblaka stared at the hovering dragon with hate-filled eyes, their usual black replaced with a crimson red, before screaming out his challenge. In a burst of dirt, the last piece of a dark history rocketed towards Asura, his sanity fully gone from the death of his mate.

Above, Asura looked with sad eyes, not for the Lethrblaka per se, but rather that the fight was already coming to an end. Despite how one-sided it had been; it was some of the most fun he ever had since his hatching. Gazing into the maddened eyes of his opponent, the dragon realized that this was the final clash; there was not going to be another engagement.

"As a thanks for the fight, I'll send you off with one last move!" Extending his four wings to their full extent, Asura snapped them down as he plunged towards his opponent, flames pouring out from the mini-thrusters he had created through his namesake's path as a thundering boom reverberated across the land. Then he started to spin, his onyx spikes and flames blurring together into a tornado of teeth, protruding spikes, and flame.

"TSŪGA!"

The Inuzuka family of Konoha were famous for being able to easily tear through thick tree branches and chakra reinforced earth prisons with this same jutsu, and that was with either the shinobi or his dog, or even both. Now imagine a nearly 100-foot metal armored dragon with jagged spikes all over his body and covered with dragonfire and the ethereal flames of Amaterasu.

The leather armored Lethrblaka, while admittedly larger than Asura, stood no chance. If the cunning creature had not been driven to madness from having his hatchlings and mate killed then maybe, just maybe, he would have had the sanity to not go head to head with the terrible strike heading his way.

But he didn't, and so he continued, beak first, claws outstretched, and massive tail at the ready in one final burst.

And as they met, for an instant, the proud beak dyed in the blood of tens of dragons seemed to hold its own, even managing a small crack on one of the scales on Asura's face. However, as sure as gravity, it finally shattered, unable to resist the immense centripetal force of the Tsūga as the dragon drilled seemingly without resistance through the softer flesh and bone beneath.

" _Ugh, gross._ " Asura mentally complained as bits of the Lethrblaka's organs and bones practically shoved themselves into his eyes before he exited out from his opponent. As blood and gore rained down from the sky, the young dragon soon realized that while he was able to utilize the jutsu…he hadn't really mastered stopping.

With the ground approaching, Asura thought, " _Next time, I'll just close my eyes…wait, what is that weird human thing?_ "

The last thing the High Priest saw was the cause of his gods' deaths spiraling directly at him before closing them. " _If not even the Lethrblaka could resist such a fate, who am I to defy it?_ "

And so the last High Priest of cult of Tosk met his end by the claws of the hatchling of his gods' enemies.

Coughing out the dust, dirt, and distasteful flesh of the Lethrblaka from his mouth, Asura shook the stars out of his vision, dizzy from the destructive move he managed to pull off. After all, he did just barely master most of it the night before. As he clawed his way out of the deep hole he drilled himself into, a bruising pain burst from his chest, causing the young dragon to stumble back into the dirt.

Before he could check what was causing it, a hand enveloped by a brilliant yellow light gently touched the area, instantly taking away the pain. Looking down, Asura saw Naruto, unsurprised by his sudden appearance. He knew the speeds at which the blond could travel at, never mind being able to instantly teleport wherever he wished. However, he was surprised by the unusually unhappy look on his Rider's face.

"You almost died Asura, ya know? An inch more to the right and you could have been killed, if not severely injured." Those words froze Asura's heart as his glowing eyes darted to the center of the injury, widening when he saw a heavily dented metal scale just barely off of his only true weak point: the fiery scar that ran from his collarbone to his stomach.

For the first time in his short life, he felt true fear; fear of himself dying, but mostly of subjecting his Rider to the soul-wrenching pain of having his mentally bound partner being ripped away. Lesser men and dragons have lost their minds due to their bound partner leaving life through unnatural means.

Seeing that his dragon had learned the lesson that frankly he just didn't understand when he himself was but a brat, Naruto brushed away his frown before showing a proud smile. "But still, nice job. Although I see I'm going to have to up your training in the Tsūga." As Asura somehow both smiled in pride and paled in Letting his Six Paths chakra flow through his palm, the deep depression was rapidly healed until no trace of it was left.

"Next time, remember to encase that part with armor…I know it itches and that it restricts your movement, but remember, you are only as strong as your weakest part, which is that." Naruto pointed at the scar which radiated an intense heat.

That was when a certain elf made herself known.

" _NA-RU-TO! HOW DARE YOU KNOCK…_ " Asura winced as Arya railed into his Rider before promptly closing their link. The dragon knew that it was a mistake to knock out the elf the moment it happened and judging from the pale look on his Rider's face…he was right. When Naruto threw a pleading look towards Asura, he launched himself into the sky.

No way in hell he was getting in between that. Nope, definitely not!

Notes:

Hello everyone! Sorry for the really late update, but the school year for my 1-year Master's program in Biomedical Engineering started so…rip my schedule. That does not mean I'm stopping…just getting used to the new times. Please do leave a review if possible; it helps a lot for my motivation to write and release chapters. Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Fūton: Kaze Rasenshuriken – Wind Style: Wind Spiraling Shuriken

-Instead of using the grinding of regular chakra and wind chakra, the entire jutsu is created out of wind chakra, rendering the attack far more potent and dangerous than if regular chakra was used.

Tsūga: Tunneling Fang


	64. Visitor From Another World

Hello everyone, and thank you for leaving feedback! From what I read, it would seem most people want to stick with the Japanese names for the jutsus…and so I shall endeavor to do my utter best to using correct Japanese terms when introducing new jutsus. Also it would seem the English system has won out...not sure if I should be pleased at using a system I know a little better...or depressed about not using the system used by the rest of the world...oh well.

To Dzerx: Thank you for the review. I have a basic outline for the main worlds I really want him to travel, but as of now, it can be rather flexible when it comes to hopping to certain worlds for maybe a couple of chapters or introducing characters from other universes.

To Draconic Reborn: Thank you for the criticism, and I totally agree with you. At that time, I had just finished reading Shinobi Chronicles: A New World (great fic btw, highly recommend) and was the final push that got me into writing a Naruto fanfic. So I used that system of powers and obviously...I could have integrated it better. It's a project of mine to someday to improve it, but as of now, I'll settle with finishing this fic.

To dragonman11: Claymore is planned.

To FallenHeratic: Yes, Ciri will be part of the story and maybe the sequel. How much, I don't know, but definitely yes.

Thank you everyone for your reviews, they really helped me motivate me for this chapter! Warning: not much action, but it's for the sake of character building: PLZ UNDERSTAND AND DON'T SHOOT ME. With that, here it goes!

Chapter 63

"… _Naruto, we will have words when you get back. But for now, release that barrier that separates us._ " Arya commanded through the hijacked link.

But Naruto was still hesitant over doing so. " _But Arya, if I do so, you will be witnessing the deaths of over 100,000 innocent people, and most of all - of me doing it._ " He paused as he glanced from the enormous crater to the disintegrating remnants of the Lethrblaka as the flames of Amaterasu burned the rest of the bits from existence.

On the other side of the hijacked clone, Arya exhaled in exasperation as even now Naruto was stubbornly holding onto his noble streak. Taking out her frustration on the clone by slightly clenching her fingers around the dome of the clone's head, the elf, ignoring the small cracks that appeared, pushed more of her mind through their temporary link.

Instantly, Naruto was inundated by a flood of emotions: anger at the fact he knocked her out and frustration that he refused to leave her in the dark, exasperation …but most of all of concern for his mental well-being and an intense love that left him no doubt of the reason why elves were said to only bond once in all eternity.

"Arya…" With a sigh, Naruto finally loosened the barriers that separated their minds, relieved that when instead of the disgust and shame he had expected to feel from his lover, he felt only contentedness and a strange sense of approval?

Closing her eyes, she sent not quite a comforting message, but one that showed her understanding and approval for what he did. "I understand why you did not want me to come to witness what you did. But remember Naruto, I am no mere human woman afraid of the idea of even killing a man. I am an elf, the strongest there ever was and one of our beliefs that I agree with is that should something be too far gone, it is better to simply end their misery."

"It was mercy that you granted to the maddened citizens of Dras-Leona, so you should not feel burdened by their deaths. Just…come back, there is something I must impress on you in person." Arya sent through their own mental link as she allowed the wood clone to disperse itself into a twig, preparing to end it, but not before sending one last message.

"Do not take long, or else I swear that I'll come hunting for you." Naruto shivered at the underlying tone. He was forgiven, but he had a feeling that he was going to be laying on the proverbial couch for a while.

For the second time, Naruto sighed before staggering back onto Asura, the weight of all the innocent lives he had taken finally weighing down on his broad shoulders. Closing his azure eyes, the ex-Hokage took deep breaths of the cold night air to calm his mind.

This was of course not the first time he had killed, especially having gone through the greatest and hopefully last Shinobi War, as well as ordering the execution of missing-nin. But it was the first time that he had not only killed an innocent soul, but 100,000 of them at once.

Behind him, Asura gently nuzzled his Rider to try and provide a degree of comfort, having felt his distress and intense guilt through their bond.

"Thanks for that Asura." Naruto patted the dragon's snout before, his warm breath puffing out a small cloud of steam, unsealing his connection to nature with the defining characteristics of his Toad Sage Mode manifesting on his face. Focusing his senses on the city, he did a cursory search for any signs of life, only to find none.

Not that he expected any.

Broadening his view, the sage swept his senses out for miles to encompass the entire area around Lake Leona. Nothing alive, except for the usual bugs, birds, and other animals native to the plains perked his interest. However, just as he was about to reapply the seal, he came upon something…foreign at the very edge of his sensory area.

"Hmmm, around 50 miles away there is something…strange, a type of energy I've never felt before. But even now, it's flickering as if it's about to go out." Turning back to Asura, Naruto jumped onto the saddle before patting his dragon's side.

"Asura, you up for some more flying?"

Snorting a stream of smoke out of his nostrils, Asura tensed his hindquarters. "Hmph, it would take more than just two of those filthy creatures to keep me down." The dragon cockily claimed, apparently having put his near-death experience behind him before springing into the air in an explosion of earth towards the area where he felt his Rider sense something unusual.

Unaffected by the cold or harsh winds from Asura's sheer speed, Naruto continued to observe the unknown being that had roused his interest. It was…fascinating. The energy within had no set form, unlike the circuitous chakra pathways that interweaved throughout the body of those who could use chakra; rather it flowed through the person along with the blood. But this signature…

…it felt oddly similar to those in his eyes, how curious – and alarming.

Sensing that they were almost upon the unknown, Naruto redid the seal as he fixated his gaze on what he could now see as the source of the energy.

A woman.

White hair, a looping scar that ran from the top of her left cheek to her ear, and unusual form-fitting clothing for Alagaesia. But what drew his attention were various bloody rips and scars that marked her clothes and body, as well as how pale she was.

Not knowing if she had some kind of regeneration factor, Naruto knew that the young woman had a very real chance of dying.

"Asura, over there!" Immediately upon his Rider's command, Asura descended from the sky at a breakneck pace before thumping down onto the ground tens of feet away while shaking the surrounding earth.

Shunshin'ing to the side of the woman, Naruto flipped through several hand seals before outstretching his now glowing green hands over her, evidence of the Shōsen Jutsu. With all of the chakra restricting seals limiting his chakra to that of a mere Chūnin, the once impossible technique became achievable.

"Various cuts – most likely from arrows, slight frostbite, 'chakra' exhaustion, not to mention mild malnutrition and sleep deprivation." Naruto frowned when he completed his diagnosis. Whoever this woman was, she was most definitely not from around here, otherwise there would be tracks leading from wherever she came from. That, and it would have been damn near impossible for her to escape from her pursuers considering the freshness of her wounds. This was not even taking account to the unknown energy that by now had settled down.

"Now the question is what to do with you," mused Naruto as Asura inquisitively poked his snout towards the oddity before rearing back with a hiss. Raising an eye towards the black dragon's reaction, the blond raised an eyebrow at him.

"She smells no… _reeks_ of cold and frost, the very antithesis of what it means to be a dragon." Asura scowled.

Somewhere, a certain unborn hatchling sneezed before settling into a more comfortable position in his egg.

"That's interesting, but from what I see, the cold you sensed is not coming from her. Rather, it seems as if she either came from a land of intense cold…or was attacked by a potent ice attack. Judging from her injuries, I would assume the latter." Naruto continued to look at her. She seemed so fragile, as if she would break at the slightest touch. Yet, the scars from death-defying battles, toned muscles that spoke of hard training beneath her exposed skin, and large sword that a normal man would find difficult to wield on her back indicated otherwise.

That's when he came to a decision.

Stooping low, Naruto glided his hands to her back and knees in a princess carry, not minding the small amount of blood that seeped into his clothes. Jumping back on top of Asura, whose scales he noted seemed to shiver, the blond made sure she was secure.

"Don't move Asura, otherwise you might just knock down a tent or two." That was all the warning Asura received before the trio disappeared into a spiraling void.

xXx

Several worlds and dimensions away, a herd of heavily armored horses with their equally armored riders and strange hounds wheeled about in frustration; the result of a failed hunt. Under the shade of a century old tree, the most heavily armored one of them all threw his giant tower shield to the ground before swinging his monstrous mace over and over until the thick trunk of the tree finally couldn't take it anymore, groaning as it collapsed in a flurry of dust and splinters.

Just as the warrior was about to stride to another tree, a spiked gauntleted hand fell upon his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Glancing behind him to see a dark helm shaped like a skull, he immediately laid down his weapon.

"Imlerith, that is enough. Tend to them, we've no time to lose." The cold tone behind the words brooked no disobedience as the now identified Imlerith did just that while muttering his anger and frustration of having their prey once again escape.

Behind the speaker, another wraith-like figure appeared, only this one was not nearly as heavily armored and carried a steel staff capped with a sphere emanating magical energy as his weapon of choice.

"Have you found which world Zireael went to, Caranthir?"

Kneeling down with the end of his staff digging into the ground, Caranthir shook his head. "Yes King Eredin. However, the world Zireael has escaped to is…different from those we have travelled to before. The spatial density is the thickest I have ever encountered and I have not discovered any pre-existing pathways into it. For now, Zireael is unreachable."

"I see, and Avallac'h?"

The Golden Child simply shook his head. "There has been no sign of the traitor. While it is possible for him to have gone to the same world as Zireael, his signature is too weak to track."

"I see report to me the moment you finish your tasks." Lowering his head, Caranthir rose back to his feet before going off into the distance for some peace and quiet to find a way into the world their quarry escaped to.

As the dimension-transporter left, Eredin tilted his helmed head towards the moon as he raised his hand to clasp at the edges of his frightful mask. Lifting it off, he exposed his ambition-filled icy blue eyes, bordering on grey, and pale elven face as he imagined the young woman he had been chasing for years. Clenching his fist at the moon, the King of the Wild Hunt thinly smiled.

"This is but temporary, and soon Cirilla you shan't be able to escape me."

xXx

Back in the Varden encampment, a large dragon and his passengers abruptly appeared from a crack in space in front of a tent at the outskirts of the camp.

Dropping down with the young woman in tow, Naruto turned back to pat Asura's snout. "Go rest now Asura, you've had a rather exciting day. Even for you, you should be rather tired after a siege battle and killing the Lethrblaka."

Nodding, Asura padded over to the side of the tent to lie down on his belly as Naruto turned to the tent entrance before pausing. By now, both he and Arya could sense each other through the thin layer of leather that separated them.

"Well, here it goes." With a push of his shoulder, Naruto stepped into the tent…to meet a pair of glowing Tenseigan eyes and its owner crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well, Naruto, shall…" her words died down when she saw the person in her lover's arms.

Noting her injuries and status, Arya immediately swept towards the bed to lift the blankets before waving him over. Naruto swiftly complied and soon had the unconscious woman on the bedroll.

However, when he saw her about to use magic to warm and heal her, Naruto reached out and grabbed her wrist. When Arya looked sideways with a questioning look, the blond simply shook his head while pointing at their patient.

"Don't use anything chakra related. Instead reach out with your senses and tell me what you feel."

Tilting her head to the side, Arya looked back at the young woman, this time paying closer attention to the girl's chakra…only to furrow her brows in confusion. Just what was this energy? This was not chakra, at least none like she had ever seen. Instead, it was like a liquid, like…

Blood.

"I see you discovered our visitor's…condition. When I first sensed her, I was also confused as I had never felt something like this. Combined with the fact that she apparently appeared out of thin air, although it sounds crazy, I don't think she's from this world…or even dimension." Naruto revealed his guesses about the pale woman as Arya gained a look of understanding.

"I see why you stopped me from healing her. With that strange energy within her, we do not know how she will react to chakra actively being applied to her. I assume you only used the Shōsen Jutsu on her?" Arya questioned to which Naruto nodded back in confirmation.

"Yes, for now I'll apply basic medical aid as her wounds are not all that serious. Her condition is mainly due to severe physical and 'chakra' exhaustion, as well as a mild case of hypothermia." Soon a medical kit popped out from one of his seals as he went to stripping his patient with a professional touch, only barely lifting an eyebrow at the numerous scars lining her quivering body and at the red rose tattoo on her inner thigh. He had seen many thinly clad, or naked women during his time as a shinobi and applied emergency field dressings on them.

Off to the side, Arya began chanting a small spell that would only heat the air around and not actively instill any chakra into the woman, all without batting an eye. Finished, the air around the shivering woman grew warm, but not too hot, soon allowing her to slip from an uneasy sleep to a soothing slumber.

Finished with applying medical aid, Naruto brought the clothes up to eye level before uttering "Jikan: Gyakumodori!" Rapidly, the strange clothes began to change: their rips magically mended themselves as the blood that stained parts of them evaporated from existence. Once done, the blond laid them by the bedroll before tucking her in the blankets.

"So what do you plan to do with her?" Naruto turned towards the voice at his side to find Arya elegantly kneeling down in contrast to his sitting cross-legged.

"As of now, I don't know. Though first, I must discover exactly who she is and what she's doing in our world and then determine if she's a threat and just who was chasing her. If she's neither, I'll most likely just let her go, or allow her to travel with us for a time."

Seeing Arya gain a confused look, Naruto clarified. "Arya-hime, when I examined her energy, I felt something similar to those in my Rinne-Sharingan." The elf's eyes widened at the mention of that.

"Then you think she's able to control time or space?"

"Yes, I suspect that she's able to naturally control both of those forces, which is what made me bring her here. The things you saw me do with that power was nothing compared to what I could do if I truly utilized them to their full potential. So don't be fooled by her harmless appearance; she's dangerous."

Arya shot a wry glance at the blond. "You mean to most others, but not you." Rolling his eyes, Naruto returned his gaze to the sword and scabbard he had unstrapped from the woman's back. Unsheathing it, both Naruto and Arya critically ran their keen eyes along its steel edge, noting that other than a few dried bloodstains, its blade was remarkably well maintained; not even the smallest nick or mark blemished its polished surface.

Clearly, whoever she was, she valued keeping her sword in perfect shape far over her clothes or her well-being.

Re-sheathing the sword, Naruto stilled, not knowing what to say to his partner at his side. For a few minutes, neither said anything to each other, content to wait in silence for the other to start.

Finally, a lilting voice broke the quiet. "Naruto, are you alright?"

Cocking his head to the side, Naruto pretended not to know what she meant as he answered with his usual smile. "Of course I am Arya-hime. I don't even have a scratch-"

"That is not what I meant Naruto." Arya interrupted as she placed a small soft hand on Naruto's, worry etched on her fair face. For a second, Naruto was greatly tempted to feign ignorance. However, one look into her concerned, gold-flecked, forest-green orbs shattered his resolve to do so.

Releasing the tension he had been unknowingly holding in, Naruto slumped to the side to rest his head on Arya's leather-clad shoulder. While the enchanted leather was hardly a comfortable perch, he didn't care; all he wanted was to be as close to the woman who he once again found love with.

Seeing her love so…vulnerable caused Arya to forget whatever remaining anger towards him as she raised her arms up to cradle his head to the crook of her neck, the tips of his spiky blond hair tickling her nose, gently stroking them as Naruto utterly relaxed himself in her embrace.

Several minutes passed as the two just sat there with no words being said, until Naruto softly muttered, "I've killed many people, ya know: from my time as a shinobi to killing thousands of soldiers at a time just to help the Varden out of tight spots. My hands are far from being clean." Arya continued to brush her hand through Naruto's hair as he continued.

"But never have I killed an innocent person who couldn't even fight back. Thing is, I have always prided myself in how despite all of my power, I have never used it against a civilian or anybody that wasn't trying to kill me or my friends." Naruto lifted his faintly trembling callused hands to his eyes, as if expecting to see something on them. "And now I have the blood of 100,000 such people on my hands. And the worst thing is, is that I did it without any hesitation at all."

Arya's heart almost broke at Naruto's words as she held him closer to her. "Shhh, it's alright, it's alright…I'll keep your heart safe." She kept whispering while opening her mind to him, allowing her emotions to flow freely through their bond to let them do what simply talking couldn't. What she had to say to Naruto could wait another time.

After all, what was time to immortals?

Seconds turned into minutes, which then passed into hours as the two spent the rest of the night in each other's embrace.

xXx

Several hours later, the black of night retreated as the first golden rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, bathing the city of Belatona and the Varden in a yellow glow. Soon, a hint of light crept through the slightly parted entrance the tent of a certain couple to land on their guest's face.

Emerald-green eyes snapped open before wincing as the stray beam of light blinded her. Blinking away the disorienting stars faded, Zireael turned her head to search for her elven companion, only to see a very handsome man with spiky hair like the sun and probably one of the most beautiful women she had seen across the worlds embracing each other a mere foot from her. Offhandedly, she noted the rounded ears of Naruto and the pointed ones of Arya.

" _Interesting, a man and an elf...that's not a combination you don't see everyday._ " Zireael briefly mused before her last memory of being knocked out from whatever annihilated Dras-Leona shocked her back into extreme wariness. Ignoring her body's screams of pain as she shot up to a sitting position, she searched for her sword, only to find it - to her dismay - beside the man and just out of reach.

" _I could flash to my sword, but then Eredin and that damned Navigator Caranthir would instantly sense where I am._ " Gritting her teeth, she decided to leave her sword for later in favor of gathering information of the world she landed in.

"W-Where am I? And who are you? And where is Avallac'h?" Stuttering, she completely forgot the near impossibility of him understanding her. When she saw the confused look on both Naruto's and Arya's faces, she almost wanted to smack her forehead in exasperation. " _Of course he doesn't understand me. I'm in a different world after all._ "

Realizing the common problem she usually ran into upon staying in a world for more than a few minutes, Zireael attempted to communicate to the two with hand gestures as she tried to convey her intentions.

Seeing the odd gestures, Naruto sighed as his vain hope of maybe understanding her shattered. Now he had to find a way to understand the woman in front of them beyond just using hand signs. " _Well there are only a few options to what I could do; either utilize my Ningendo Path, or slowly learn her language...that's not happening. Yet I don't know what would happen if I used a chakra technique on her...especially when it involves her soul._ "

As the white haired woman continued to try and converse, Naruto quickly weighed the pros and cons of using Ningendo, before coming to a decision. Sending a thread of chakra into his eyes, he quickly caught the still gesturing woman in a Genjutsu before grasping her forehead with his right hand. Instantly, Zireael fell silent as her arms fell limply to her side, her green eyes blank and unseeing as they saw whatever Naruto wanted her to see.

Reaching out with a hand, Naruto lightly grabbed at her forehead before muttering, "Ningendo!"

Beside him, Arya watched as Naruto partially pulled an ethereal green silhouette in fascination, quickly realizing that the girl's soul was literally in his hand. Although she had witnessed Naruto months ago temporarily bring Brom back from the dead, it was completely different to see him touching the soul of a still breathing person.

Closing his eyes, Naruto made sure to only absorb knowledge of her language, loathing the feeling of forcibly searching through a person's memories. It felt as if he was doing just...wrong, unless the person was someone like Galbatorix or the Ra'zac; then, he was more than happy to strip them of their memories. Before he was done, Naruto paused before inserting his knowledge of Alagaesia's language into her head. " _Who knows, maybe she'll be able to understand what others are saying now, even if she won't be able to speak it._ " mused the blond, allowing his Rinne-Sharingan to fade to their usual cerulean blue as he sent what he learned to Arya, who in turn closed her eyes to process it.

" _Alright, let's try this again_ ," thought Naruto as he released the Genjutsu. "Do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Widening her eyes in surprise, the young woman blinked several times before narrowing her eyes. "Yes I can, but what did you do to me? I felt something odd just a few seconds ago."

"Woah, calm down, I only performed a jutsu that auto-translates whatever we say to each other." Naruto put up his palms in an effort to calm Zireael down and divert her attention from his technique.

He had a feeling she wouldn't be all that ecstatic that he literally held her soul within his hand just a minute ago.

"Well, I don't know who this 'Avallac'h is, but as for your other questions, I found you injured and knocked out a few miles from Dras-Leona-alone. So I brought you here to recover. And as for me, I'm Naruto and this here is Arya." Naruto gestured towards Arya, who nodded in greeting, as he supplied some harmless answers to show that they meant no harm.

It seemed to work as Zireael seemed to relax her tensed muscles, although she still kept her eyes on her sword. Noticing where she was glancing, Naruto reached down to grab the sheathed blade before handing it to her. Most would argue his foolish action of handing a potential enemy back her weapon, but Naruto had an answer for them.

Hell would freeze over before he was taken off guard by somebody a fifth of his age, with or without a sword.

Seeing that she was distracted with checking her blade for any signs of tampering or damage, Naruto decided that now was the best time to try and get some answers.

"So, how about you, where do you come from? And what can we call you?"

Having been greatly mollified with the return of her long-time companion, the foreigner readily answered as she tilted her blade to get a better look at the scattered bloodstains along its edge. "Ciri, they call me Ciri and I come from a faraway land; you doubt you've heard of it."

Nodding, Naruto could see she was still wary about them and was about to ask her who was chasing her when suddenly, the entrance of their tented parted to reveal a messenger in boiled leather armor.

"Lord Naruto, Ajihad requests-" The messenger started before his words caught in his throat as his eyes grew huge at the sight of a near naked Ciri who, despite her injuries, was still an extremely stunning woman with her orange-tinged emerald eyes, exotic silver hair, and lithe but not overly skinny body. Gulping, he continued to stare, completely forgetting his message until a loud cough shook him out of his trance.

"You can go tell Ajihad that I'll be there, now shoo." Bobbing his head, the messenger swiftly took his leave, not daring to disobey the clear dismissal of the man that single-handedly killed over 10,000 people in the Battle of the Burning Plains. It simply wasn't worth displeasing him...not even for another glance at the attractive nearly nude woman in his tent.

" _Damn lucky bastard!_ " mourned the unimportant messenger as he quickly made his way back to Ajihad's tent.

For a second or two after the tent flap closed, a slightly awkward silence pervaded the tent as Ciri shot an indignant glare at Naruto while crossing her arms underneath her modest bandage-wrapped bust, her sword still in hand. "What is this?! Did you undress me?!"

Arching an eyebrow at the questions, Naruto shrugged as he casually reached out to poke at one of the large bruises on her stomach she had acquired after being hit by the shockwave from his attack, eliciting a small gasp of pain from Ciri, before he tossed her clothes at her.

"Well I had to strip you to treat your wounds and fix your clothes…unless you rather have lost some bits of yourself to frostbite and allow your wounds to fester?" " _Interesting, it would seem she was able to understand the Human Language of Alagaesia. That makes things much easier_."

Catching her clothes, Ciri puffed out her cheeks in mock anger, more upset at the fact that she didn't evoke more of a reaction from the attractive blond, as she started to pull on her tight leather trousers. For a second, she wondered if perhaps her benefactor was gay as most men couldn't, other than the Aen Elle, keep their eyes off her, or rather at the small amount of cleavage she intentionally showed.

However, that thought was struck from her mind as she watched Naruto help Arya stand, their movements far too intimate for ones to be between just friends. " _Shame, I probably would have made a move on him if he wasn't already taken._ " Ciri briefly entertained the notion before squashing it down. Now wasn't the time for brief romances and flings when the Wild Hunt was still after her.

Strapping her sword to her back, Ciri looked back to see Naruto and Arya already making their way out of the tent.

"Hey, wait! I'm coming with you!" Stopping, Arya finally spoke up, having been using the time to process the Common Speech Ciri was speaking with.

"No, you should stay and rest. Your wounds are still healing and any sudden movement will reopen them-" She didn't get any further when the younger woman cut her off.

"My injuries are fine and I can already walk, see...ah!" Ciri fiercely rebutted as she took her wobbly first step, determined to prove the elf wrong...only for her muscles refuse to move in a coordinated manner, causing her to pitch forward towards the ground. If nobody helped her, her face was fated to become good friends with the grassy floor.

It was fortunate that a certain blond shinobi would never let that happen in front of him.

"Jeez, you really don't like listening to advice, do you?" Ciri felt rather than heard the amused chuckle as the chest she was leaning on vibrate with the force of the sage's laughter.

"Thank you, I didn't think that even walking was beyond me. But I assure you, I'm fine now..." Slightly blushing at both the hard inclined planes of Naruto's chest and her shameful fall, Ciri thanked the blond for catching her as she attempted to steady herself.

It was at this time when her stomach decided that now was the best time to express its hunger. Immediately, a loud growl rumbled through the tent, eliciting a pair of deadpan stares from both Naruto and Arya as Ciri turned crimson in embarrassment.

"I believe Ajihad can wait and if the meeting is about what I think it is, then I'm definitely not in any hurry to go there." Naruto said as his shoulders imperceptibly slumped, much to Ciri's confusion, which only grew when she saw Arya place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

" _Just what does he mean? From the movement of his shoulders, something terrible must have happened and from the way Arya is comforting him, he might have been the reason behind it._ " Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Naruto waving towards her to the center of the tent. Confused, as the middle of the space was utterly devoid of anything, her jaw dropped when a table suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke, along with several chairs and large bowl of steaming...noodles?

"What...how…?" Ciri stuttered as she tore her gaze to Naruto's steady one, a strange mix of astonishment, fear, and most of all...hope. While she was no stranger to the magic arts, having been around her surrogate mother Yennefer and the witchers of Kaer Morhen for the better part of her life as well as being mentored by Avallac'h, none of them could do so without using any words, motion or at least some signs of preparation, especially if this 'magic' was what she suspected it was...could it be?

"Naruto, was that 'space' magic?" Her voice trembled as she pointed at the table, chair, and food: ordinary objects she would normally not have even given a second glance at now seemed ironically magical.

"We can talk about that later. For now, eat up, judging from your condition, you must have not eaten in days." Naruto once again gestured toward the table before sitting himself in one of the chairs with Arya doing the same right beside him.

For once, Ciri didn't express her headstrong self and instead did as she was told. Drawing out the chair, she immediately attacked the food with her fingers, not even bothering with the pair of chopsticks next to her. Across the table, Naruto and Arya watched in sick fascination as the rich bowl of ramen seemingly evaporated underneath the woman's speedy hands.

" _By the Log, and I thought my tableside manners were bad when I was young…_ " At a speed that would have given Naruto himself a run for his money, Ciri quickly finished the bowl of ramen, setting the bowl down with a thud as a happy and satisfied smile crossed her scarred face.

"I take it that you enjoyed the ramen?" wryly asked Naruto, already knowing the answer.

"Very, thank you. I've not eaten in days with the-" Ciri stopped before she could mention the Wild Hunt. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I must ask you, what magic was that before?"

Pulling up his sleeve, Naruto revealed the near invisible seals running along his arm. "These are what my people call storage seals. Essentially, we create a miniature pocket dimension in which we can store a variety and amount of objects: including food, clothes, tables, and most of all weapons."

Unknown to Ciri as she leaned over to get a closer look, a mischievous glint twinkled in his blue eyes as he sent a slight burst of chakra through one of the storage seals. In a large puff of smoke, a familiar executioner blade slammed into and through the table before grinding to a halt in the ground.

"Ah!" yelped Ciri as she snapped her hand back to the hilt of her sword, half drawing it until she heard Naruto laugh out loud. "What was that for?!" Ciri pointed her finger towards the blond, her green orbs flashing as she kept her hand on her sword, only to sweatdrop when she saw Arya knock her fist into the back of his head.

"Naruto, that was too much, even for one of your pranks. Look at her; she's absolutely terrified!" Arya lectured her lover who merely rubbed the back of his head with a fox-like grin on his face.

"Nah, she's not scared, just look at her, only righteous fury and a curiosity that could rival even yours. And come on Arya-hime, just look at her now. Before she was so tense and wary of us, now she's only wary of us." Another sweatdrop joined the first one when Ciri heard the blond's words. Sighing, the otherworlder let her sword slide back into her sheath in favor of closely examining Kubikiribōchō, the blade's design and size drawing her in.

" _Seriously, his oddness can give the witchers of Kaer Morhen, bless their souls, a run for their orens._ " She shook her head before returning her attention to the massive blade.

"An immense blade; the wielder must possess great strength just to hold the sword, never mind wielding it. Two cutouts, one at either side of the blade, yet still as sharp as its edge and suspiciously of similar size to a person's head: possibly for beheading? So a sword meant for decapitation and execution." A blond and dual-colored brow rose at the young woman's muttered observation.

"Impressive, whoever trained you did well. To establish Kubikiribōchō, the Decapitating Carving Knife's true nature without understanding its name is not easy. Was it your father who taught you so?"

"My father?...No, it was my uncle who did so." It was then Naruto managed to glimpse past the blustery facade Ciri kept up when her bright eyes seemed to dull as looked down towards the ground: that behind the strong, fierce, and headstrong young woman laid her other half, one filled with doubt and anger towards herself. He did not need his emotion sensing ability to know that she was no danger to himself or his friends, but rather somebody in need of some help; help that he could provide.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Ciri's head whipped up, a protest already on her lips that died when she saw the sad look in Naruto's profound ocean-blue eyes. She had seen that same look in many of the people in her life: Geralt, Yen, Triss, Lambert, Eskel, Vesemir...the list went on. For all their youthful looks, their eyes belied their true age: the sheer experience throughout the years lending them a dour wisdom only age could bring.

However, she froze upon Naruto's next words.

"Afraid that you'll never see the people you love, who you hold above even your own life, and would do anything to keep them safe...even if it means keeping the ones chasing you within arm's reach."

Stumbling back as if she was struck, Ciri instinctively drew her sword, it's shaking tip pointed at the calm blond who kept his eyes on hers as a storm of emotions swirled within her. Never before had anyone, not even Geralt or Avallac'h, deconstructed her so easily and told her so bluntly within only a few minutes of meeting.

It angered her that the man was able to do so.

It made her suspicious as she wondered just how Naruto was able to tell somebody was chasing her.

But most of all, it scared her to hear his words, and know them to be true.

"Ciri…" That one word seemed to trigger something within her, something she had kept hidden and suppressed in order to keep ahead of the Wild Hunt. Pointing her quivering steel blade that had protected her all these years, Ciri let loose of everything that been building up.

"Stay back! Just how did you know I was being chased? And who do you think you are to know of my struggles that started the day I was born. How I had to flee for my entire life because of this accursed Elder Blood running through my veins? To have power beyond my understanding, beyond what should be possible for humans and not be able to control it, forever in fear of harming or even killing the ones you love. Just what do you know?!"

For a moment, nobody said anything except for the sound of heavy pants and groans from Ciri as she gripped her side, grimacing as she felt some of her wounds reopen from her rant, while Arya kept a silent watch as she watched her love try to heal their guest of her mental wounds.

"I don't know. I don't know what events shaped your life. I don't know what this Elder Blood is. I don't know how your powers, whatever they may be, have changed you and caused you to flee so far." Naruto admitted as Ciri's shoulders seemed to slump, her faint hope of finding someone who could just _understand_ , even if just a little, perished.

"And yet, I know everything." Ciri's ears perked up at the words as she sent a disbelieving look at Naruto, only to see him well within her personal bubble.

" _When did he…?_ " Her alarmed thought ended when she felt herself be pulled into a warm embrace, not one of love or pity, but of understanding and compassion.

"I know how it feels to be rejected from the day you were born. I know the fear that grips at your heart and soul when you possess an impossibly destructive power that you cannot possibly hope to understand. I even know how it feels to be separated from those you love and that you may never see again." Naruto softly muttered into her ear, his hands gently gripping her slim trembling form.

"And yet, I also know of courage that can only be given by teachers, friends, and trusted comrades. To know of victory when finally, something goes right. And finally to know of acceptance as the power you so feared and hated was not something to be hated at all, but was merely waiting for you to accept it." Looking into the deep azure orbs, Ciri saw no trace of malice, greed, lust, or desire for her power she had faced all her life. Only a quiet kindness and empathy from the strange man she just met this morning who managed to peel away all of the layers she had built up over her years.

"So let me ask of you Ciri, do you want my help?"

At that time, she didn't know what caused her to answer the way she did, only that it was probably the best decision of her life.

"Yes."

Notes:

As I said, a slower chapter, but I hope I stuck to canon Ciri and didn't make her too OC. Please do correct me if I did. Please leave a review, us writers love seeing them popup in our inbox, and have a great day!

Jikan: Gyakumodori – Time Style: Reversal

Zireael - Swallow


	65. Getting to Know Each Other

Chapter 64

Before the warm moment could go on much longer, a melodic yet terrifying voice rang out in Naruto's head, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

" _Naruto, I understand that you want to help her, but do you have to embrace her for so long?_ " Mechanically glancing back, a large bead of sweat slowly ran down Naruto's forehead when he saw a veneer of cyan green chakra begin to shroud her form.

" _Oh, this is not good. Is Arya really going to unlock the chakra shroud of the Tenseigan because of this? On one hand, that's a good thing...if it didn't mean the decimation of the entire continent. There's only one option._ " A thoughtful smile formed on his mouth as he watched a chakra horn start to emerge. " _Yep, it's time for that._ "

By now, Ciri had realized that something was not right. Looking over the taller blond's shoulder, she didn't expect to see an intensely glowing elf that caused her to look like a goddess.

Not for the first or last time, she wondered just what exactly these two who found her could do.

Taking his hands off of Ciri's shoulders - while missing how she puffed out her cheeks in slight annoyance at that -Naruto made his way to the slightly jealous elf before leaning down to press his lips against Arya's and wrapping his arms around her slender waist. Closing his azure eyes, he gently suckled at her sensitive lower lip, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the elf princess as she parted her lips to greet his tongue.

" _Sweet and minty._ " was Naruto's thought as he deepened the kiss, the incomplete chakra shroud fading away as Arya encircled her arms around his neck to pull herself closer until her breasts pressed fully against her lover's muscular chest, her brief moment of envy long forgotten as she enjoyed her lover's ministrations.

Behind the kissing couple, a confused and now heated Ciri continued to watch, unable to tear her gaze away from the highly intimate moment despite knowing she should.

" _This is almost as awkward as when I caught Yen and Geralt having sex on that stuffed unicorn._ " Ciri cringed at that particular memory; to see a member of the same species as her friend Ihuarraquax being essentially used as a sex toy horrified her.

Thankfully for her, the two soon broke off, although both of their eyes were still a little misty as they continued to gaze at each other, until an irritated cough drew their attention. Looking to the source of the sound, they saw an annoyed and blushing Ciri as she hid her brief moment of arousal with her arms back underneath her bust.

"Haha, sorry about that Ciri. Now that you're done eating, shall we go see what Ajihad wants to talk about?" Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What, you're not going to try and stop me like Arya did?" Ciri raised an eyebrow at the blond.

"Nope, I said that I would help you, not coddle you." As Naruto swept open the tent to reveal the already bustling men and women of the Varden, he sent an amused look at her. "Besides, something tells me that you would follow even I said no." With that, he strode out into the camp with Arya elegantly striding at his right.

Unknown to both of them, this one statement caused her impression of the blond to grow; for her entire life, she had been constantly commanded or forced to obey, all supposedly 'for her sake'. Although still a little unsteady, Ciri quickly caught up to stand on the other side of Naruto before smirking. "You're damn right about that. Not even my mentor was ever truly able to restrain my stubborness."

A few minutes passed as they continued to walk while updating Ciri of the war against Galbatorix. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. To think that dragons - who were mostly unintelligent beasts in her world - would form a pact with the elves and humans of this continent to create Dragon Riders, it was amazing. However, when they mentioned magic, they kept the exact specifics subtly hidden while also keeping their own skills secret: at least until Ciri decided to be honest about herself.

As she listened, the silver-haired woman constantly looked around in unrestrained curiosity, taking in all the details, from what kind of armor was most used to the condition of their swords, lances, and bows, and at all the different species who all fought for the same goal. But most of all, she noticed the number of stares directed at her benefactors as they passed by.

While this by itself didn't surprise her, as the two were probably the most attractive people in the entire camp, it was the way they looked at them, Naruto in particular, that started to bother her.

" _Awe, respect...but most of all fear. But why? And the fact they keep muttering 'God of Slaughter'. Just what did you do for such a reputation?_ " It was difficult for her to connect somebody "Naruto, why do the men look at you with fear and call you the God of Slaughter?"

A frown crossed the usually sunny blond's face before he sighed. He might as well tell her before somebody else did. "Ciri, remember when we told you that just over a month ago, the Varden clashed with the Empire in a battle of massive proportions: the Battle of the Burning Plains?" Even for Naruto, he was quite impressed at the time since just going by the number of people, that one battle involved as many men and women as the whole Fourth Shinobi War did.

Ciri nodded, although she still had trouble just imagining that insane number of people in one place at the same time with only one goal: to kill each other.

"Of course, although the Varden emerged victorious, not all of the Empire's army at that time was destroyed." She again nodded; it made sense that such a huge host of men wouldn't all be destroyed even in such an enormous battle.

"But what I failed to mention is that of the 100,000 strong Empire...less than a third survived."

Now that took her by surprise. From what she knew of large-scale battles, it was rare for even half of the losing side to be killed, never mind from a significantly smaller force. " _But just why is he talking about this...oh._ " Her quick mind almost instantly connected the dots. In a small voice, Ciri mumbled, "How many?"

Pausing, Naruto levelled a steady gaze at her before resuming their walk to Ajihad. "Over 20,000."

As Ciri's breath caught in her throat, Arya leaned in close to the blond. "Naruto, was that truly wise? Even elves would shy away from your performance on the battlefield - no matter the reason and even if it were for the good of Alagaesia - never mind someone so young who has been chased her whole life for her power."

Turning to the mate he never expected to find, Naruto gave a wry smile. "Arya, when I left the Elemental Nations, I decided on one thing. As long it does not involve or put my friends or loved ones in danger, I could care less about of how others view me. If Ciri decides to not want my help, then that's her decision: no hard feelings."

Flicking her gaze back to the young ashen haired woman, Arya watched as a number of different expressions quickly flickered across her scarred face: the expected apprehension, alarm, and disbelief. However, to the elf's surprise those emotions soon faded away to those she never expected in a human after first hearing what Naruto did: acceptance and understanding.

" _However, it does make sense by her earlier outburst. Perhaps she is not as shallow as most of the mortal races._ " Arya filed away

Minutes passed as they continued to walk in muted silence, until they were merely a few feet away from the command tent. Just as they passed the two guards - one a Kull that was almost 9 feet tall and the other a heavily armored dwarf around four feet - who both nodded in respect to the blond, Ciri grabbed at his arm to stop him.

Ignoring the astonished stares of the guards, Ciri resisted her instinctual temptation to look away from an overwhelming force. "Naruto, before when you offered to help, were you serious about that?"

Blinking a couple of times at her question, Naruto let out a foxy grin. "Of course Ciri, and if there was one thing people who knew me would say, it would be that I always keep my word."

Off to the side, Arya also offered her help. "I too will aid you; that is if you accept."

Looking back and forth between their cerulean and forest-green orbs for any hint of the deceit she almost always found in others, she found only sincerity, a quality sorely lacking back where she came from. "Thank you Naruto, Arya." An uneasy look crossed her face as she added, "But there is something I must tell you two. Although you two have been nothing but hospitable to me, but I haven't been completely honest with you two. In fact I-"

She was cut off when Naruto raised his palm to stop her. "No need to say anything right now Ciri. We can talk about this later after the meeting." Naruto said, before adding, "Besides, we've also been hiding some things from you."

With that, Naruto and Arya pushed aside the tent flap as they filed in with a curious Ciri following close behind. Inside, over half a dozen pairs of eyes snapped towards the trio, with one of the newcomers closely observing the man who had single-handedly turned the war on its head.

" _So this is the infamous God of Slaughter, slayer of 20,000 men, a god in human flesh...and destroyer of Dras-Leona. He doesn't look all that powerful,_ " mused one of the members as he casually stretched a tendril of thought to the 'human', as his race was wont to do when something or someone piqued their curiosity.

Only to utter a startled yowl when a towering red slit orb, hundreds of times larger than his physical body, glared down at him. He who had spoken to kings of thousands of subjects, dragons whose scales were larger than him, Riders who could move mountains, and elves fairer than any who walked the earth immediately tried to flee from the terrible beast who he could not even completely see, so terrified was he from the extraordinarily malicious aura that oozed from it. However, to his surprise and horror, he found he could not even twitch a mental muscle under its terrible gaze.

" **Little cat, you have quite the guts to appear in my host's mind.** " A deep voice rumbled deafeningly in the werecat's sensitive ears, mocking the intruder who dared to trespass his territory.

"You, just what are you monster?" hissed Grimrr Halfpaw, King of the Werecats, Lord of the Lonely Places, Ruler of the Night Reaches, and He Who Walks Alone, the blow to his inflated pride overwhelming even his screaming feline instincts to just shut up.

Shards of rock fell as a booming laughter shook what he could now see as the walls and ceiling of an enormous cavern. " **Monster? Oh little cat, you have no idea wish to know what I am? How amusing, but I shall grant your wish!** " With a ear-splitting roar, the ten-tailed fox flexed his muscles as he burst open his dwelling to reveal his glory to the dumbfounded werecat, who could only stare back in dread and awe.

And what a sight it was.

Standing taller than the clouds themselves, Kurama displayed his full self, his ten tails lazily waving through the air as if they held a mind of their own, easily decimating any mountains in their way. All the while, Grimrr just sat back on his haunches, unable to comprehend that such an enormous being could even exist.

Then a voice spoke directly into his mind. " **Brat, I am the Juubi no Kitsune, the new Shinju of this planet, and strongest of the nine. I shall spare you this one time as you had no ill intentions to my friend, but do not test my patience again. Now, begone!** " With a roar, the King of the Werecats was forcibly ejected from Naruto's mind with cold beads of sweat trailing down his pale forehead as he awoke, slanted green eyes wide with horror as he flinched away from the blond's displeased stare.

"Ya know, you would think that beings as old as you would have some amount of decency to not just poke around in other's heads." On his right side, Arya turned to glare at the werecat, having also felt the uninvited intrusion. On the other, Ciri looked alarmed; the fact there were some people able to reach into minds was concerning...especially when one of them was right in front of her.

All around the room, the others expressed their disapproval as most of them

Ajihad shot a reproaching look at the humanised werecat. "King Halfpaw, while we the Varden are grateful for the werecat's support, I ask that you not randomly look into anyone's minds without a good reason."

Turning to the black leader, Grimrr shakily pointed at the trio while growling, "You all have no idea what that monster is, do you? The fact that none of you have run like dogs with their tails between their legs in the mere presence of him despite what he did to the city of Dras-Leona proves you all to be fools, like sheep wandering around a wolf in sheepskin!"

The leader of the Varden furrowed his brows. "What did he do King Halfpaw that has riled you up so?"

As the others leaned in to better hear what the werecat was about to reveal, Eragon sent a worried glance at his friend and mentor. Unlike many in the tent, he had been able to feel the sudden loss of life, and because of that had spent several hours in bed curled up on himself with his body wracked by tremors. The fact he was able to sense this despite it obviously happening far out of his usual range indicated just how catastrophic it must have been.

"What you all do not know is that just last night, after your victory here over Belatona, Naruto Uzumaki and his dragon appeared over Dras-Leona...and destroyed the entire city, Helgrind and the Lethrblaka residing within the mountain. No one survived." Grimrr Halfpaw relished in the shocked silence of the others, particularly those from Ajihad and Eragon, the Dragon Rider.

Don't mistake this for hatred however. All werecats were vengeful beings with bloated pride in their species and themselves, Grimrr Halfpaw most of all. And when Kurama bruised that same pride of the King of the Werecats, Grimrr knew that there was nothing he could possibly do to the Juubi, and so he did the next best thing.

He decided to damn its container in the eyes of the Varden.

While the others stood in shocked silence, Ciri slowly backed away from Naruto, her eyes wide with horror as she remembered the blast the knocked her out and when the blond told her of how he found her near Dras-Leona. "Naruto...was what he said true? Did you truly destroy an entire city filled with people?"

It hurt him to see the same expression on her face that he had seen all to many times during his childhood directed towards him. Closing his eyes, Naruto took a deep breath before heavily sighing. "Yes. But Ciri, you have to-"

"What, understand?" Ciri interrupted. "Yes, I'm sure there's a lot to understand about killing an entire city filled with innocent people Naruto!" Turning away after her outburst, she stomped out of the tent as the others were beginning to recover their faculties.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Naruto mourned to nobody in particular. Turning to Arya, he was about to say something, but was beaten to the punch by Arya.

"Go Naruto, I will handle the council. We cannot have a potential threat just running around in the camp." With that, Arya made a shoo'ing motion to the blond.

The corner of Naruto's mouth twitched, lamenting before disappearing in a tornado of leaves. "I swear, why does everyone seem to love interrupting me?"

As he disappeared to chase after Ciri, a loud voice barked out after him. "How dare you run from justice! Men, apprehend that man and the girl and bring them to us!"

The two soldiers outside guarding the tent peeked in before deadpanning. "Sorry milord, but there's no way in hell we're going after him."

Before King Orrin could issue another order, a shadow fell on top of him. Looking towards the source, the black king promptly paled when he saw a pair of balefully glowing Tenseigan glaring at him.

"Now, your Highness and King Halfpaw, let us discuss what exactly happened last night, shall we?" Beside the King of Surda, the werecat scoffed at the elf's words until he felt himself fall to his knees as Arya released her careful control over her substantially greater than Kage level chakra.

"Arya, that is enough!" Ajihad soon snapped out of his daze as he commanded the elf to release the Varden's newest ally. While he could understand why the elf did so, he was afraid that she might have alienated the werecats from their cause.

Shooting a glare at him, Arya humphed before reining in her aura. Ajihad sighed in relief when he felt the dreadful pressure lift as Arya returned to the center of the council before frowning at the werecat. "While I do not condone his actions, never has Naruto given me the impression that he was a bloodthirsty, homicidal maniac. So pardon my words your Majesty, but you are a fool to antagonize somebody who could annihilate your entire race with his pinky finger…all for the sake of your pride."

" _Perhaps I made a mistake…_ " thought the King of the Werecats as the potential consequences finally caught up to him.

xXx

" _Just how could he even look at me like that after killing all those people, as if nothing was wrong?_ " Ciri ran through the encampment, not caring where she ended up as she passed men, dwarves, and Urgals. To one with the Elder Blood, location meant very little.

Her thoughts took a darker turn as she reflected on her power. " _Is that how I will end up in the end? A killer capable of ending entire cities with my power alone, all without batting an eye? Just where is Avallac'h when you need some sagely elven advice?_ "

"Ciri, wait!" Her introspection was broken when a certain blond's voice sounded out from behind her. Doing the exact opposite, Ciri ran even faster, reaching speeds beyond what any human or even Urgal could boast.

" _Damn, she's quite fast for someone without chakra. Must be the energy from this Elder Blood she was talking about._ " Although to Naruto the white-haired woman appeared to barely be moving, he recognized just how impressive her speed was compared to normal beings. And if her Elder Blood was anything like Obito's Kamui...she could be a terror to all but the most powerful of shinobi.

By the time they crossed the edge of Varden camp, Ciri was beginning to slow down, her previous exertions and wounds now taking a heavy toll on her stamina. Finally grinding to a halt, Ciri hands fell to her knees, panting as she shot a dirty look at the completely cool-looking Naruto who wasn't even breathing heavily, never mind sweating.

Not for the first time, the Lady of Space and Time wondered what exactly Naruto was as he drew closer. " _Just how did he keep up so easily with me? Even Geralt,Uncle Vesemir, Lambert and Eskel would have trouble keeping up, and they've been enhanced with mutagens._ "

Gripping the hilt of her sword, Ciri watched in bemusement as the man who killed 100,000 people simply plop down onto the ground beside her, crossing his hands behind his head and staring at the wispy clouds while not even sparing a glance at her. For several minutes, neither spoke a word as Ciri kept warily staring at the blond who still calmly looked towards the sky.

Sighing when she realized that nothing was going to happen, at least from Naruto's end, Ciri withdrew her hand before sitting next to him, cross-legged as she unsheathed her sword. Laying the deadly piece of steel on her lap, she reached into the small pouch hanging from the leather belt around her waist to withdraw a soft cloth, a bottle of mineral oil, and a small whetstone.

Beside her, Naruto absently wondered how exactly Ciri managed to pull a blade almost as tall as she was out of the sheath strapped to her back. Even for him…it was just impractical. Punting the thought to the corner, he returned his attention to the clouds as they lazily floated without a care in the world.

As she cleaned and polished the old bloodstains from her blade, Ciri peeked at Naruto, noting how his blue eyes contrasted to that of the sky, before returning her attention to cleaning and polishing, determined to not be the first to break the silence.

"You take care of the blade well. Who taught you?" Just as she finished up with the last stain, Naruto looked away from the clouds to admire how the once stain-ridden blade shone in the day, the light of the sun almost sparkling off of its brilliant surface.

"My uncle did. "A witcher can forget to eat, to drink, to breathe even. But a witcher never ever forgets to care for his blade." was a favorite saying of his." Ciri recited the deeply ingrained phrase as she took the whetstone in hand and began grinding away, the small imperfections that Naruto earlier noted slowly fading as the edges became sharp enough to cut a floating leaf.

"Witcher…" The sage rolled the strange foreign word around his mouth, recognizing the deep fondness surrounding the word when Ciri said it. "Are you a witcher then?"

"No, I was never subjected to the mutations to become an actual witcher. However, I was taught their way of the sword and it has served me well over the years I was being chased."

"Oh? In that case…" Standing up, Naruto unsealed the Kusanagi from his arm. Ignoring her flinch and tightening knuckles, the blond walked away to stop 12 feet from Ciri.

"Come Ciri. Show me these 'Witcher" moves." Naruto beckoned her towards him, his sword pointed down to the ground.

Furrowing her ashen-grey eyebrows, Ciri slowly got to her feet as she held the blade out in front of her. She knew that few could match her in swordplay; after all, she was the one who ended Leo Bonhart, the man who managed to kill three witchers with only his skillful swordplay…supposedly

Although she didn't exactly have the greatest of impressions of Naruto, especially after finding out what he did, the young woman still held a measure of gratitude towards the man who bandaged her wounds and fed her, and was thus reluctant to potentially harm him.

Besides, she still wanted an answer, scratch that several answers from the blond still.

Raising her sword, Ciri slashed half-heartedly at Naruto, who simply leaned a bit to the side, allowing the blow to harmlessly sail past him. A few more slashes followed, each as slow and unwilling as the previous one, and each one easily dodged.

Naruto rolled his eyes in exasperation when he saw her continued pathetic strikes before deciding perhaps she needed a little push in the right direction...even if it was uncharacteristic of him.

"Oi! Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" Naruto snapped at Ciri, causing her to pause in mid-swing before mocking her style. "Or is this all to the "Witcher" style?"

"You…you…!" A bluish-green vein began to pulse on Ciri's forehead when she heard Naruto's words. He wasn't just insulting her, but also the witchers who lived at Kaer Morhen and were practically family to her.

" _Fine, if he wants to be hit, then I'll slice at him until he cries for mercy!_ " In her anger-clouded mind, she completely forgot that the shinobi before her had effortlessly destroyed an entire city just last night.

Tightly gripping her sword with both hands, Ciri settled into a stance: her knees bent and the gleaming longsword held level to the side of her head, its narrow tip pointed straight at the blond. With a loud cry, the Lady of Space and Time dashed forward, her charge as fast as an arrow loosed from its string, intent on shish-kebabing the man who caused her so many conflicting emotions.

In response, the Kusanagi snaked forward and in a clash of sparks, deflected its fellow blade to the side.

This time Naruto didn't redirect or dodge out of the way as Ciri pirouetted in the same direction her sword was deflected in, instead flicking Orochimaru's former blade up to solidly block the razor-sharp piece of steel a mere inch from his neck.

For a few seconds, neither moved as Naruto eyed the sharp piece of metal oh so close to his jugular while Ciri continued to push, straining against the blond's unlimited strength as she attempted to draw first blood.

"Good, you're finally taking this seriously." Growling at Naruto's words, Ciri disengaged from the stalemate, backstepping away before spinning like a whirling dervish, her sword a maelstrom of reflected light and steel as she closed in on the stationary Naruto.

Immediately, the clashing of blade on blade and screeching of edge on edge filled the air as their swords blurred into a deadly dance with Ciri maneuvering around Naruto, all in the hopes of landing a single blow on the immovable blond. Faster and faster she spun until the two-handed blade in her hands turned into a sinuous river of lustrous steel that only showed its true self when slightly pausing against the Kusanagi.

However, it was all for naught.

" _Why can't I hit him?! It's as if he can see all of my moves before I make them!_ " Ciri thought, frustrated that even after reaching her physical limit, she still wasn't able to even make Naruto move from his spot. Then she spotted something odd.

" _What is that?_ " Paying more attention to the objects of her curiosity, Ciri noticed that the once cerulean eyes had turned a silvery purple with several concentric circles with strange marks around a black spot. They seemed to pulse and spin as time went on, hypnotizing her with their mesmerizing movements. However, doing so had unknowingly slowed down her revolutions, which Naruto made sure to remind her of that.

"Come on Ciri, don't slow down!" Startled awake, Ciri widened her eyes as the once passive Naruto suddenly went on the offensive, the Kusanagi blade batting away the offending blade before cutting through the air down towards her head.

" _Fast!_ " Hastily putting her guard up, Ciri grunted when her sword was almost torn from her hands as she stumbled back from Naruto's overhead strike. " _Damn, what monstrous strength! Not even that one time I stupidly blocked a golem head on could compare to this!_ "

It only grew worse when the sage began to rain down fierce yet refined blows down at her at every angle, each with as much power as the first. It took all she had just to prevent the deadly steel from sliding between the holes in her guard and slicing into her vulnerable flesh. However, it wasn't enough to stop thin cuts from appearing on her unarmored clothes.

By now, Naruto had a decent grasp on the kind of style Ciri used. " _How interesting, it seems to be a style centered around dealing as much damage as possible in one blow, hence all of the twirls of both the sword and its wielder. Yet, against a human opponent, it's just…impractical. It's as if this 'Witcher' style was not meant to fight other humans…but rather something else that can either take a lot of hits or simply doesn't have the instinct to dodge. But there seems to be something missing from all of this, as if she's still holding something back._ "

To the young woman who could control two of the fundamental forces of the universe, time itself seemed to stretch minutes into hours as the sun slowly reached its zenith, its sweltering rays mercilessly beating down on the combatants as they continued to fight.

Sweat drenched her clothing and hair, weighing and slowing her movements while matting her long ashen-silver hair against her forehead and eyes. More than once did she have to awkwardly retreat to sweep the annoyance out of her sight before re-engaging in the deadly dance with the blond where the smallest mistake would result in crippling wound. It was only a matter of time before she made a mistake.

Then it happened.

Exhausted and irritated at the small scratches across her body and at the fact she had yet to even touch Naruto's clothes, Ciri overextended in a retaliatory stab, only to tumble to the ground as Naruto slapped her blade to the side, her feet refusing to obey. Twisting to the side, Ciri's eyes widened when she saw the Kusanagi whistling through the air towards her.

Despite knowing that this was merely a spar and not a death match, fatigue, stress, and the fact that a very sharp blade was rapidly approaching, her tired and blurry mind shut down in favor of her her base instinct as her body began to glow a brilliant green before abruptly disappearing from Naruto's sight.

xXx

Worlds away, a pair of hidden steel-grey eyes snapped open, its meditating owner looking towards one of the hulking armored elves at his side before nodding. "My lord Eredin, the Elder Blood has been used. But I still have yet to find a safe way into that world. "

Behind the ghastly skull faceplate, the King of the Wild Hunt frowned at the delay. "So be it. She knows that she cannot remain in that world forever. Eventually, her resolve shall weaken and she will eventually return to the witcher; it is inevitable. For now, keep your attention on her movements and report the instant she leaves."

"As you command, my king." Returning to his meditation, Caranthir kept his senses trained on Ciri, waiting for the time she finally left Naruto's world.

xXx

" _Finally things are getting interesting._ " Naruto smiled when he felt Ciri's presence appear behind him. Slashing at it, Naruto's grin grew when he felt no resistance, instantly realizing that the elusive woman had teleported once again, this time appearing right before him, her Gwyhyr sword already in mid-swing down towards Naruto's head.

Raising his own to block, Naruto watched as Ciri disappeared from view before blocking her sword at his side. " _Amazing, she's able to imitate the Hiraishin, except without the need for any markers, just like what I could do with the_ _Kamui_." For several minutes, Naruto continued to block and repel each arcing attack as Ciri continuously teleported around him in bursts of ethereal green, managing to land several shallow cuts on his clothes as even he wasn't able to react in time with all of his limiters.

However, he also noticed the small delay between each of Ciri's jumps as she continued to flash around him. " _It would also seem that there's a small but noticeable delay between each jump. So her mind and body can't keep up with the continuous jumps. In addition, there's a small disturbance that I can detect from where she'll go next so it's possible to do…this!_ "

Unleashing a short, but savage uppercut at seemingly nothing, Naruto was rewarded by a grunt of surprise and pain as Ciri rematerialized, her toned stomach caved in around his fist and eyes bulging with shock.

"H-How?" Coughing out a globule of saliva, Ciri slumped to the ground as the sword dropped to the side, greedily gulping in huge mouthfuls of air as she just laid there, defeated.

Resealing the Kusanagi blade, Naruto held out a hand to help her up. "Quite the interesting power you got there Ciri. While I was able to roughly determine what kind of abilities was in your blood, I didn't think you were able to teleport at will." Naruto sighed in admiration. Back in the Elemental Nations, villages would have gone to war just for her unique bloodline that allowed her to replicate his father's most famous jutsu…all without any need for prior preparations.

"And a fat lot of good it did against you. I wasn't even able to land a scratch." Ciri muttered, clearly not counting the small tears in the blond's clothing, as she grasped the offered hand before unsteadily lurching onto her feet.

"That's because I've seen similar skills before and you still have much to improve. But you did very well Ciri; you should be proud as not many can boast of even touching me." Naruto shrugged before reaching out to ruffle her silvery-white hair, much to her bemusement.

"Hey, stop that!" A hot red flush steadily creeped up her ivory neck, both at the compliment and in utter embarrassment, as she swatted at the hand that continued to tousle her hair. Only two other people had ever done so in the same manner, and now Naruto was the third.

For a second, neither made a sound after she slapped away the offending hand until they both erupted into laughter at the silliness of the act.

" _Just when was the last time I had a good laugh, to not worry whether the next day would be my last free one? Oh how much I would give if only to live out the rest of my days carefree and without having to worry about the plans others have for me._ " For Ciri, it was the first time in what felt like years since she had felt relaxed enough to laugh, as even with Avallac'h's help the Wild Hunt – her eternal nemesis – was always but a step behind.

A small thud drew her away from her thoughts. Turning towards the source, Ciri felt her eyes roll when she saw that Naruto had dropped back to the earth and was patting the ground beside him.

This time, she didn't hesitate as she sat herself beside him, although not before picking up her sword from the ground. Reaching into her pouch, Ciri withdrew a small whetstone as she went back to knocking out the nicks that had accumulated after their spar. For a few seconds, neither said anything as the grinding of rock on metal filled the air.

"So, was it also your uncle who taught you kenjutsu?"

Pausing her hands to glance at Naruto, Ciri quirked her head to the side at the unknown word. "Kenjutsu?"

It took less than a second for Naruto to realize his slip. "Ah, that's what my people refers to what you call swordplay."

Ciri nodded in understanding. "I see. Then yes and no. While my uncle teach me his school's way of the sword, my father was the one who taught me near everything I know regarding the blade." Off to the side, Naruto once again noted the warm glow in her emerald orbs when she mentioned her father and uncle. He didn't need to be a shinobi to see that it was clear the young woman intensely loved and missed them.

"Just what are you Naruto?" Glancing to his right, Naruto saw Ciri staring at him with curious eyes.

"Oh, you're not curious as to why I destroyed an entire city?" Naruto arched an eyebrow at the question. After all, just about an hour ago Ciri had quite literally ran more than two miles at a pace that would have turned an Urgal green with envy.

"Who said I wasn't?" rebutted Ciri, obviously still quite disturbed about the killing. "But from your sword, I could tell you were not a cruel person who took pleasure in killing...at least, that's what my instinct is telling me."

The corner of Naruto's lips quirked up at the response; it was so like what his younger self would say, to trust his gut more than his mind or what others said...although to be honest, he was still guilty of doing so.

"How about this Ciri, earlier you told us that you had something important to share, so how about we trade one question at a time?"

After shortly considering, she nodded her agreement. "Fine, so who and what are you?"

" _That's not one question, that's two!_ " The edge of Naruto's lips twitched as he internally complained about the small bending of their agreement before answering, "Well, I'm human." A rather dull look from Ciri clearly showed she wasn't taking just that for an answer.

"But unlike the others around us, I'm able to wield a power my people call chakra, which allows me to do many things." Naruto raised a finger when he saw her about to ask another question. "Now now Ciri, it's my turn, remember?" Naruto chuckled at her pout. "So tell me, where did you come from?"

Her earlier pout melted away as a look of unease took its place as Ciri deliberated whether to answer truthfully. " _After all, just how many people believed me when I told them I was from another world?_ " She ruefully thought about the few others in the beginning she had trusted enough to tell a part of her secret….

...only to regret doing so as the look in their eyes, once kind and inviting, turned cold and distant as they obviously disbelieved her fantastical story.

" _Should I really tell him the truth...ow!_ " Ciri's second-guessing was abruptly interrupted when something poked her forehead hard enough to almost send her onto her back. Blinking the stars from her eyes, a dazed Ciri rushed back up to a sitting position before shooting a heated glare at Naruto, who by now was smirking at her.

" _I see now why Itachi liked poking Sasuke's forehead; it's just so amusing to see that annoyed cute glare._ " Naruto thought as he raised his palms in mock surrender when he saw Ciri crack her knuckles.

"Ciri, don't overthink this, just say what you want to say. There's nothing that you can say that is too crazy." Ciri's jaw snapped shut as her eye twitched at being so easily seen though. Although she knew that she was never great at hiding her emotions from anyone, it still irked her when somebody pointed that out. However, she couldn't deny that she was partially mollified by the blond's words.

Sighing, she decided to just get it over with and be blunt; she could only hope the man next to her wasn't like the others. "Fine, I'm from another world with an army of dimensional travelling elves chasing after me for my special powers in order to save their species and enslave other worlds while doing so."

"...I see." For several seconds, neither said anything as both waited for the other to say something. However, Naruto just continued on as if he didn't just hear something completely ridiculous to the ordinary person.

"Well then, it's my turn…"

"That's it? Just an "I see"?! You do realize I'm essentially an alien not even from this dimension, right?" Naruto plugged his sensitive ears as Ciri raised her voice out her disbelief at his nonchalant manner.

Come on! Just how could he remain unsurprised in the face of an extra-dimensional being?

Naruto merely chuckled at the young lady's reaction; he couldn't blame her. After all, just how many men or women could claim to have had a friend who could easily cross dimensions on a whim?

"How about you ask your next question. Perhaps then you will realize just what kind of world you landed in," advised the sage, to which Ciri snorted in agreement.

"Sure, so what exactly can you do with these powers of yours, to not even be surprised by an alien like me?"

"Now that's an interesting question young Ciri." Ciri's silver eyebrows twitched in annoyance at the 'young' part.

"What do you mean by 'young'? I'm already 20 years old! And just why are you talking as if you were an old man? You don't even look that much older than me." Naruto merely chuckled as Ciri muttered her grievance under her breath, amused at her small rant.

" _Hmmm...now how should I answer? I could show her a little bit of elemental manipulation, but that's just...so boring. Then again, I could do 'that'._ " Wondering what he should do, the blond eventually decided to show off to let off some steam from earlier.

Let none say he didn't like to sometimes show off after this stunt.

Without another word, Naruto slowly brought his hands up to his chest while unlocking several of his many seals as his eyes whirled to the Rinne-Sharingan.

" _Those eyes...it's those same eyes that almost hypnotized me during the fight!_ " The change in Naruto's eyes didn't escape her notice as she then heard him whisper 'Susanoo!'. Instantly two pairs of ethereal crimson red hands materialized on either side of him, causing Ciri's brow to twitch in mild interest at their appearance.

But nothing more.

Having been raised by several witchers, exposed to the Lodge of Sorceresses, and lived in a world full of fantastic and horrible monsters, such a minor display of 'magic' couldn't impress her. The thing that interested her however, were the different strange symbols both the ghostly and physical hands were making.

Before she could further wonder what they were supposed to do, a low mutter interrupted her.

"Tengai Shinsei!"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen except for a slight ripple in the air as Naruto dismissed the miniature Susanoo hands, his ringed eyes with 9 tomoe fading back to their usually sparkling azure.

A few seconds passed "Naruto, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see anything changing." By this time, Ciri was already growing impatient due her nature of preferring action over simply waiting, and to be honest...she was a little disappointed when nothing seemed to happen.

In response, all Naruto did was smile before pointing his finger up towards the darkening sky. Before she could say anything, her eyes narrowed when she noticed the shadow that seemed to blanket the land. At first she had attributed the fading light to just a few passing clouds, but it was far too dark for such a thing to be true.

" _Just when did it get so dark? A few minutes ago when we were sparring, there was barely a hint of a cloud drifting through the sky. But now..._ " Lifting her head, Ciri squinted when she saw something large hiding behind the clouds that was quickly growing larger with each passing second. Confused at what was happening, Ciri turned to Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, do you see that…" Her voice trailed off when the clouds that guarded the heavens finally shattered to reveal a meteor as large as a mountain.

With a soft ' _thump_ ', the sword she valued as much as her own life fell to the ground along with the small whetstone from nerveless fingers as her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. She who had seen so many miracles ranging from flying machines to the most wonderful and terrible of magic was dumbfounded, for not even the mightiest of civilizations she had witnessed could casually summon something that could wipe out all life on a planet.

Such a power could not possibly belong to the realm of mere men, but rather of gods and higher beings.

"Wh-wha...what…" Ciri could barely form words as her eyes just about popped out of their sockets at the sight of the incoming disaster.. In the back of her mind, she dimly recognized the increasing cacophony just a kilometer away as the members of the Varden all pointed at the falling mountain. Some had even sank to their knees, their heads digging into the soil as they prayed to their gods for mercy. However, most stood just as Ciri did, too shell-shocked to even twitch a muscle as a meteor that could easily cover the entire camp continued to rumble down towards them.

" _Impossible, this is impossible! How could there be someone able to summon meteors at will?"_ For a second, Ciri wondered whether this was all a coincidence or even an elaborate illusion. Biting down hard on the corner of her lips, Ciri hoped that whatever spell was cast on her would break from the pain. Alas to her dismay and awe, such thoughts were dispelled when even after blood started to flow down her cherry-red lips, the meteor continued to fall towards them.

Although it had been only a second or two since its appearance, the meteor was already close enough that Ciri could feel her bones starting to creak as the tons of displaced air forced the breath from her fragile lungs. This state was mirrored by the rest of the Varden as some even fell to the ground to clutch at their ears as the fragile eardrums within began to tear. Only a few within the camp were able to bear the pressure and only a handful able to seemingly be unaffected by it. Because of this, the teleporter could hardly bend space enough to blink away as the immense amount of pressure being forced down on her narrow frame constantly interrupted her focus.

Colorful lights flashed as barrier after barrier, spell after spell broke to pieces as the elven spellcasters attempted to stop the falling mountain, only to fail as only a few chunks of the rock managed to be broken off from some of the more destructive spells. Frowning at the falling debris, Naruto subtly utilized the Deva Path to crush the stone fragments before they could harm anyone.

And just as she was wondering whether today was the day she was gonna die, Ciri heard a voice lazily call out beside her. Turning, she watched as Naruto simply looked up at her with an amused twinkle in his azure eyes, his chin resting on his tanned knuckles.

"So, now do you believe?"

Notes:

Tengai Shinsei - Shattered Heaven

Hello everyone, thank you for reading the chapter! Sorry for the long wait and hopefully it's up to par. Please do leave a review; I can't say it enough how good it feels to see a review pop up. Thank you and enjoy!


	66. Freedom and Choice

dThank you for being so patient with me everyone. And thank you for all your kind reviews! They do help a lot in regards to motivation. As for some of your questions regarding the pairings and whether there will be a CirixNaruto, all I can say is...I honestly don't know. Right now, I'm thinking of just letting the writing flow and if there is a way for them to get together naturally, NATURALLY is important, then most likely yes, they will do so. Will they stay together in the end is another question I don't have an answer to. Anyways, thank you and enjoy!

Chapter 65

"So, now do you believe?"

Naruto's words resounded within Ciri's mind as she remembered her initial sense of disbelief when she heard him so casually dismiss her fantastical origins, which then grew into a budding anger when she wrongly thought that once again, she was being dismissed by someone she gave her trust to, no matter how temporary.

"I was wrong." Ciri briefly mused before the increasing pressure from the meteor broke her from her errant thoughts. With her pearl-white teeth chattering, the foreigner attempted to eke out a few words to the man beside her, but in the end couldn't due to the air being forced from her body. For all of her dimension-shattering powers, her body was that of a mere mortal: stronger perhaps than most if not all other regular men and even greater than that of most Kull, but in the end still too weak to resist the tons of displaced air that nearly immobilized her.

When she realized that she could utter no coherent words, Ciri gritted her teeth before relying on something she hadn't used ever since finding out how utterly ineffective it was against Witchers.

The dreaded Puppy Eyes no Jutsu.

And unfortunately for Naruto...he was no Witcher.

Unable to have anticipated this unexpected move, Naruto's one of two weaknesses reared its rather pretty head. "Damnit, those large teary green eyes and pouty lips...she's like one of those adorable panda summons." Instantly, the sage felt a wave of guilt as he somewhat, but not really, regretted using an over the top (for others at least) jutsu just to prove his point and get rid of some pent-up stress.

"Alright alright, stop looking at me like that. It's not as if I was gonna let that giant space rock land anyways…damn Puppy Eyes no Jutsu...not fair..." Naruto muttered as he drew upon a trace from the near infinite well of chakra of Kurama that even now still dwarfed his own massive reserves. Drawing just a trace of the last Bijuu's chakra, small enough that the meditating fox but nevertheless enough to send an ordinary Chunin into chakra exhaustion.

Funny, it seemed to be a tiny bit bigger than the last time he checked it...

On other side, Ciri's already widened eyes almost popped out of her head as she watched a golden arm as wide as herself with ethereal orange flames licking across its length emerge from Naruto's lower back and streak across the sky towards the incoming rock from outer space.

Despite having seen the Naruto summon the meteor, she wondered just what could such a thin arm-at least compared to the bulk of the falling mountain-could possibly do against it...only for her thoughts to be swept away when she saw the hand, which was already as large as herself, suddenly increase to enormous proportions, envelop the entire falling rock, and then effortlessly pulverize it to dust with a single squeeze.

"..." No words came out as Ciri continued to dazedly stare at up at the giant hole the meteor had left after piercing through the clouds as the immense amount of leftover dust flowed away with the wind.

And just like that, a disaster that could have easily wiped out all 100,000 men and women of the Varden was both created and destroyed by the man standing barely a foot away from her.

Insecurity, awe, and fear mixed together in her heart as she warily looked away from the sky to the still sitting blond before sweeping down towards the fallen sword, her body tensed and ready to blink away the moment she detected any sign of hostility towards her.

Seeing this, Naruto helplessly sighed as he realized that he may have really overdid it. He had conveniently forgotten that the humans of Alagaesia were like glass compared to even some of the normal citizens of the Elemental Nations due to the lack of chakra running through their bodies. Out of the entire Varden, only Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Asura, the elves, and several Kull were able to comfortably withstand the pressure.

Facing her directly, Naruto began to chuckle as he reached up to rub the back of his head as he was wont to do whenever he was embarrassed. "Hahaha, sorry about that Ciri. I may have overdid it…"

A small twitch began to develop near Ciri's eyes as she watched someone she now suspected to be some kind of divine being just laugh as if what he just did wasn't something major at all. Later, after accompanying him on more adventures, she would realize that summoning a meteor really wasn't all that impressive compared to the rest of his ridiculous arsenal.

Several moments passed by as she continued to observe Naruto, using all of the lessons of observation that Geralt and Vesemir had drilled into her determine his possible motives. However, when she saw the blond simply continue to rub his head with that silly grin of his, she gave up. Sheathing her sword, Ciri sighed out, "Are you a god or some other divine creature?"

Naruto didn't show much of a reaction to her question. Living amongst species other than the shinobi had made him realize the vast gulf, no ocean, between his and their existences, and so he understood where she was coming from. Even when he lived amongst his own people, there were more than a few who began to worship him as a deity and even started a small, but quickly growing religious cult, which made his stay in the Elemental Nations all the more awkward.

So he shook his head in denial while nonchalantly waving around his index finger to command the wind to blow away the annoying dust that was beginning to gather around them. "Nope, I'm definitely not a god. Just a human with a lot of chakra. So, do you still think I don't believe in your story?"

Ciri's eye twitched even faster at the timing between his answer and his blatant use of the wind element. It has to be understood that even where she came from, where magic ran rampant ever since the Conjunction of Spheres, such skill with the elusive element was nigh impossible without some kind of previous preparations with odd ingredients or casting, especially when it came to monumental task of blowing away tons of dust and shards leftover from the meteor.

"Humph, just human my ass." With that rather crude statement, Ciri plopped said ass back down on the grass. "It's not as if I can really do anything other than blink away even if he wanted to try something." Although she thought that, Ciri was also comforted when instead of the arrogance or overblown pride that most of the sorcerers and sorceresses she knew would no doubt have been infected with, she saw only a quiet confidence that seemed to radiate from his being.

"Perhaps, this is my best chance to finally put an end to the Wild Hunt...and maybe even 'that'." After shifting into a more comfortable position, just as Ciri opened her mouth to speak...she was once again met with a silencing finger that tauntingly waved right in front of her.

"Nope, my turn again Ciri. Tch, you should really get your memory checked out if you already forgot that you already asked the last question…Seriously, youngsters these days." The tick mark that just faded quickly came back with a vengeance as Ciri looked past the waving finger to shoot an annoyed glare at Naruto's smirking face.

"Humph!" Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Ciri brushed the corner of her mouth with her leather gauntlets to wipe away the small trickle of blood as she impatiently waited for Naruto's return question.

For someone with such power, shouldn't he be a bit more dignified?

On Naruto's side, all he could think about was how amusing it was to see her range of expressions, her emotions obvious even as a bubble of wind protected them from the remnants of the meteor. "Despite her fascinating abilities, she would be a terrible shinobi. Impulsive, unable to hide her emotions…just why does that sound familiar?" Naruto briefly mused while asking something that was bothering him ever since she told him of the Wild Hunt. "So, your pursuers, how exactly do they track you when you cross worlds?"

This greatly interested him as even with his power, it was no easy task to track the destination of a teleporter. It was one of the reasons why he sometimes found his spars with the old bastard Sasuke so frustrating; the moment the Uchiha utilized Amenotejikara, Naruto only had a nanosecond or two to either detect his deceased friend's new position or predict where he disappeared to. Just this was already difficult, not to mention when Sasuke teleported off to who knows where, the blond found it near impossible to track the other's whereabouts.

Of course, this was prior to the Rinne-Sharingan implant and from which he gained a far better understanding of space and time, just as he did with all the fundamental elements including yin and yang after achieving his Rikudō Sennin Mōdo. But still, Naruto knew that while he no longer had too difficult a time in tracking teleportation in his world, to specifically find somebody in one of the many if not infinite other dimensions (a concept he was beginning to understand) was a whole other matter.

Closing her eyes, Ciri grimaced as a figure hidden behind a forbidding metal mask holding a metal staff appeared in her mind. "Caranthir...that bastard is the one who is able to track me no matter where I go." Her eyes opened, frustration and anger obviously burning in those emerald orbs of hers. "From what I gather, he is somehow able to track my unique signature, my Elder Blood, whenever I utilize my power. At first, it took them weeks if not months to find me after I teleported to my first few worlds. But now, after hundreds of jumps, barely a few hours or even mere minutes pass before I must run or risk getting captured. Other than that, I really don't know the specifics of the spell; spells were never my thing."

Ciri's voice trailed off as she remembered to her embarrassment and slight shame how despite the immense amount of effort Yennefer and Triss put into her training, she was still unable to cast even the Witcher signs before fixing the blond with an intense look. "Naruto, I won't play word games with you and will get straight to the point. Can you help me deal with the Wild Hunt?"

This was different from when Naruto promised to help Ciri. This time, the blond knew what was going on, and that's what worried Ciri-whether after knowing the details the man next to her would renege on his promise.

Naruto saw this as well, and so waited for her to continue. He didn't have to wait for long.

Without waiting for his answer, she hurried on. "You have to understand that other than chasing me for the past decade, they are also slavers, with human slaves being their favorite to capture as they seem to have a special disdain and even hatred towards us. Over the past millennium, the Aen Elle have taken countless humans and other species and now...now their world is ending, and they seek me to transport their entire people to my world and enslave its entire population, regardless whether the effort will kill me or not."

Ciri turned away from Naruto to look at the closing hole in the clouds before sighing. "I won't beg you to help me, and I can...understand if you take back your promise. After all, in the end, it doesn't concern you and with your power, the Wild Hunt won't be able to do much to you or your world." What she didn't mention was the White Frost, a destructive dimensional force that Avallac'h had mentioned and one only she could stop. "If I mention that, then whatever chance of him helping me might as well be zero."

Several minutes passed as Naruto processed the new information Ciri revealed to him. If it was before he was Hokage, before he became the Savior of the World, he would have immediately trusted in her words and said 'yes' while ignoring any potential consequences. But now, after being a shinobi for almost a century and having led the strongest village for a better part of it, while he already decided to help her, he took his time to analyze the situation in its entirety-especially when he sensed that she was still hiding something important.

Beside him, Ciri continued to wait for her benefactor's answer, her hands tightly clenched together. For each second that passed with silence, her hopes of gaining an otherworldly ally diminished. Just as she was ready to accept the inevitable, Naruto spoke out. Jerking her head back towards Naruto, her eyes widened upon seeing the warm smile that was directed towards her as unknown to her, a small twinge appeared in her heart before quickly fading away.

"Ciri, don't worry about me going back on my promise; I will help you against the Wild Hunt, as they pose a potential threat not only to your world, but also mine should I ever leave. However, there are some things that need to be explained." Naruto paused, gaining a thoughtful look in his eyes. "But first, don't you find something curious?"

Ciri shot a confused look at him. Seeing this, Naruto chuckled. "During our spar, just a few minutes ago, didn't you use your ability against me? Then according to what you said, these Wild Hunt guys should already be here...but they aren't, are they?"

One could hear a pin drop to the grass as Ciri's expression froze; Naruto's words were like a bellowing drums as they beat against the interior of her mind. "He's right! Just minutes ago, I utilized far more of my powers than I ever have in recent history. Yet even one small use of it was more than enough for Caranthir to track me down in the past. Yet how come they still haven't come despite constantly teleporting in a concentrated area?"

Furrowing her brow, Ciri's thoughts churned as she struggled to come up with some possibilities. "Could it be because that they haven't traced my location yet? No, that's impossible. If it's not because of them...then this world!"

Her eyes darted towards Naruto, widening upon seeing his knowing look. Memories flashed as she remembered that right after she teleported to this world, she felt strangely cold and weak, as if the blood within her veins had turned to ice; it was the first time she had ever felt like this. At first, she had attributed this to the long chase and the number of wounds that were inflicted by the Wild Hunt, but now that she thought about it, she required far more energy to teleport around the area and grew tired much quicker than back home.

Quickly reaching out, she was shocked when she felt just how dense the space was around her. Her suspicions confirmed, Ciri wondered out loud, "This world, just how could its space be so thick here?"

Naruto's brow rose at her words as he filed away the new information away. "From your reaction, the space-time fabric of other worlds is not as thick as mine. The question now is, does the Wild Hunt, or rather Caranthir, have the capability to penetrate through it?"

Stunned, Ciri quickly ran through what she knew of the Golden Child of the Aen Elle and his capabilities before coming to a welcoming, but no less shocking answer. "No, he doesn't. And if he did, the Hunt would have already shown themselves. Then this means..."

"...they can't enter my world. So long as you are here, you're safe." Naruto finished her sentence.

For a moment, Ciri just sat there, her eyes blank as she stared at the blond, almost unable to believe that after a decade of being chased across horrifying and fantastic worlds by elves who wanted use her power to enslave her world and then use her body as a baby making factory...she was safe.

Then she laughed.

"Hahahaha!" Once she started, she couldn't stop. Even as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, even as the thick black makeup began to run and make her look sort of like a ghoul, her clear peals of laughter continued ring out across plains. For the first time in her life, she felt...free. Free to live as she wanted, never having to look over her shoulder in fear of Eredin and his Red Riders as long she stayed in this world.

Away from the damned political schemes of the Lodge.

Away from unending expectations from everyone-from giving birth to an heir to stopping the interdimensional White Frost.

Away from Triss.

Away from Dandelion.

Away from Lambert and Eskel...

Her laughter started to fade as names, images, and memories of her childhood surged forth like water through a broken dam.

Uncle Vesemir...

Crystal clear tears, no longer those of joy, dripped and splattered against the grass as images of her two most loved ones flashed right before her eyes, their loving and compassionate gazes smiling at her, never changing no matter what mischief she cooked up.

"Yen...Geralt..." Ciri muttered under her breath. "No...I can't stay here forever. I still need to go back to Yen and Geralt, even if it means once again being on the run again."

When the last of her tears soaked into the ground, Ciri sighed out as she looked out at sky with resolute eyes while Naruto just silently watched. The whole time, he was observing her with his emotion sensor to see them transition from disbelief and joy to melancholy and indecisiveness and then finally to a steady resolution. From that, he pieced together just what kind of person the young woman next to him truly was.

But it was when he heard those two names that Naruto felt and saw a rush of love and affection pulse out from Ciri that truly sealed the deal and prompted him to reach out a hand to gently pat her shoulder. Tensing from the unexpected contact, Ciri unconsciously reached out towards her sword before realizing that it was only Naruto. Lowering her gloved hand, she muttered a 'thanks' while the blond retrieved his hand.

"You can't stay, can you?" Naruto murmured, easily drawing connections between her emotions and the two names she uttered with such compassion. He sympathized with her; such a young person, a child to him really, having to go through what she did was just as bad as what he had to go through in his childhood.

Barking out a quick laugh, Ciri glanced over her shoulder to her helper. "I really can't keep anything hidden from you, can I? You have to teach me that skill." By now, Ciri was already getting used to Naruto's scarily accurate insight into her thoughts...although she still suspected that something other than simple observation was going on.

"Haha! If that's what you want to learn, so be it. I'll try to teach you what I can before you go off to face off against the Wild Hunt." Amusement twinkled in Naruto's azure eyes when he saw the shock appear in Ciri's eyes as an excited shine overtook it. "Besides, a whole new world to explore...just how could I resist that?"

"Who knows what Naruto will even teach me? Can't deny I'm looking forward what someone like him has in store for me." Ciri thought as she stood up, her lips curving up in a brilliant smile as she extended out a hand to shake only to stop when she saw an outstretched fist towards her.

Tilting her head to the side, the ashen-haired dimension traveller regarded the fist, noting the small scars which Naruto didn't allow Kurama to heal that laced their way across its nearly bronzed surface before realizing what he wanted.

"Thank you, Naruto." Curling her fingers into a fist, Ciri bumped her own into his, unknowingly forming a connection between the two. However, due to her nonexistent chakra, only a faint echo of thoughts and emotions rang across the bond.

But it was enough to know that neither of them would regret their decision today.

While Ciri was still staring at her fist in curiosity, Naruto had already stood up and was dusting his knees. "Oi, Asura! Get your butt over here!" An annoyed growl answered him but already the sage could hear the heavy thuds of displaced air as Asura sped his way towards them.

"Well Ciri, how about we go back to camp and discuss what exactly we will be helping you with?"

"We? Oh, you mean Arya?" Broken out of her reverie, Ciri tried to clarify what the blond meant. Then she saw that grin that just oozed with the same mischievousness as when he suddenly summoned Kubikiribōchō several inches in front of her face. A twinge of unease shot through her as she warily eyed the hand that was starting to move up.

"Yup, but not just Arya..." A shadow blanketed the two of them. Thinking that perhaps the blond had summoned another damned meteor, Ciri shot her gaze up, only to cover them with her arms when a crimson-black something crashed into the ground, creating a miniature earthquake that almost drove the ashen-haired maiden to her knees as she stumbled about to keep her balance.

Her ears still ringing from the sudden impact, Ciri could barely make out the words "...but also this guy!" Peeking over her arm, she looked to see Naruto cheekily pointing his thumb towards a dark silhouette next to him.

"Just what are you talking about Nar-...OH WHAT THE!" Ciri yelped when a pair of glowing fiery orbs, each larger than her head and less than a foot away, stared right into her own, curiously examining the human his Rider had picked up on the plains outside of Dras-Leona.

'Shing!'

'Clank!'

In the space of a microsecond, Ciri's sword had leapt out of its red leather scabbard and slashed down...only for it to simply bounce off the heavily armored brow of Asura.

"..."

"..."

For a second, neither Asura nor Naruto reacted to the sudden attack while Ciri just stared at her trusty sword in mute horror. She didn't mean to attack the now obviously non-hostile dragon, but her deeply engrained instinct made her immediately retaliate upon sight of a monster…especially if said monster suddenly showed its giant face

But not only did she fail to deal any damage whatsoever to him, she now had a pissed off dragon to deal with.

Several more seconds passed by as Asura, the 'victim', simply stared with wide eyes at the young slip of a woman in shock, unable to believe that a mere human would dare try to mark his face (although it failed). However, a sliver of respect did enter his heart when he saw how calm and steady Ciri was: her stance firm and her trusty sword pointed directly towards his scar, ready to do battle if he displayed any signs of aggression.

It was rare for Asura to see such a fearless human as most tried to either immediately run away or promptly piss their pants the instant they took in his intimidating image, not to mention after attempting to injure him.

Still, her lack of strength was nothing worth in noting in his perspective. Snorting, the black dragon rolled his eyes before dismissively turning his head towards Naruto.

"Naruto, just why are you so interested in this human? She's so weak that even without your wards, she wasn't able to at least scratch me."

Naruto rolled his eyes in response. "Don't even go there Asura. You're able to withstand a mountain falling on you, just what did you think a sword, unenchanted with anything was gonna do to you?"

Asura merely grunted in response. Of course he was expecting something from someone that Naruto took an interest to, especially if it was a woman. The only other female his Rider had taken interest to – Arya - was able to blast him into oblivion with that monstrous punch of hers. He shuddered just thinking about it. Just what the hell was he thinking challenging Arya after she was blinded by Vaurag to a duel to see if she was still worthy of being his chosen one's mate? He was lucky that the elf took pity and settled for a punch to his ribs instead bringing out those freaky eye techniques of hers.

A shiver ran down Naruto's spine when he saw his dragon's thoughts. That day was the closest Asura ever came to dying; Arya at the time just didn't know how to regulate her strength after gaining the Tenseigan and so when she unleashed what she thought was a simple punch, a giant hole was blasted through his near impenetrable metal armored hide, her enhanced chakra obliterating its way through a rib and several organs before stopping an inch from his heart.

If Naruto wasn't capable of regenerating whole organs and limbs from nothing, Asura would have died right there, drowning in his own blood. Tossing that particular memory to the back of his mind, Naruto introduced the two.

"Ciri, this is Asura. Asura, Ciri. Asura, look through my memories, then you'll see why little Ciri over there is so interesting. And Ciri..." Naruto glanced over to Ciri to see her jaw gaping in disbelief at the two of them...more specifically why he wasn't being eaten right now. He smirked at her incredulity.

"Oh, didn't I mention that I was also a Dragon Rider?" Naruto innocently whistled a jaunty tune as he leapt onto the saddle in the gap of Asura's spines before patting the space behind him as if there was nothing unusual about riding a dragon. "Well, hurry up Ciri, we haven't got all day."

Ciri's eye was getting real tired of twitching.

xXx

Back at the command tent, Arya opened eyes as an uncharacteristic smirk marked her fair face before quickly disappearing. Striding towards the exit, she turned towards the other frozen members of the council.

"With that, I believe the matter of Dras-Leona finished. Had you all gone there, the Varden might have been destroyed. Now I'll be taking my leave, Ajihad, Eragon." Nodding her head towards the two, Arya swept out of the tent, not even bothering to glance at the frozen kings of Surda and werecats.

She didn't need to see nor read their minds to know what was running through them. In her opinion, they were lucky that Naruto was not one to hold petty grudges, otherwise there wouldn't be an atom left of their existence.

"At least Ajihad is the one leading the Varden rather than King Orrin. Otherwise I fear the Varden would have long since collapsed under that incompetent man's leadership." Dark thoughts clouded Arya's mind until her pointed ears twitched at a familiar "whump!" through the air. Glancing upward, a smile broke out at the sight of Asura doing barrel rolls and steep dives. Recalling Naruto's entire conversation with Ciri, Arya quickened her strides until all the other soldiers could see was a blur of black and white as she raced towards her tent.

xXx

Three thousand feet up in the air, Asura was showing their guest what it meant to ride a dragon.

"AHHHHH!"

"Hahaha!...cough...cough..."

Currently, Ciri was screaming for her life while squeezing the ever living hell out of Naruto as Asura looped about in the air while occasionally flying upside down during his barrel rolls. Unlike Naruto, Arya, and Eragon, she was not blessed with the ability to stick to the saddle with chakra...and said saddle didn't have seat belts: hence her strangling attempt on Naruto as she tightly hugged herself into his back to not be flung out midair.

After several minutes of intense aerial maneuvers, despite the pleasant sensation(s) on his back (the blond swore he heard some creepy laughter deep within his mindscape), Naruto decided enough was enough.

"Oi, any more of this and my eardrums will burst! Take us down or else it's extra meteors plus Kurama's tails for training tonight! At the same time!"

Asura merely rolled his eyes to his Rider's threat. He knew the old fox was in meditation and that Naruto would never interrupt such an important time for his oldest partner.

Still, he didn't want even more meteors thrown at him.

"As you wish, Naruto." Wheeling about in the sky, Asura prepared to descend. But just as he was about to do so, a playful gleam suddenly appeared in his eye.

"Naruto only said to take go down...but he never said anything about how to get there!" Barely a second passed before Naruto lightly slapped one of Asura's metallic horns.

"Asura...you do remember I can hear your thoughts, right?" Asura grunted in chagrin at having his intentions revealed as he turned back with a hopeful look.

Then he saw that familiar fox-like smile.

"All you had to do was ask."

Roaring out his approval, Asura's ringed eyes began to spin as chakra coursed into the area behind his wings. Feeling the surge of chakra, Naruto glanced over his shoulder to see Ciri taking advantage of the brief lull to look around in awe of the view.

"Hey Ciri, bump fists with me." Looking away from the stunning scenery, Ciri eyed the fist for a second before unwrapping one of her arms from around the blond's waist to extend her right hand to tap against his clenched fingers.

Instantly, a malicious crimson shroud of bubbly chakra raced over her figure. Jerking her hand back, Ciri unwrapped the remaining arm from Naruto's abdomen (completely forgetting that they were over 3000 feet above the ground) to furiously try and pat out the chakra as if it were a fire. But when she realized that she actually didn't feel anything from the chakra shroud, Ciri brought both her hands up to eye-level, curiously watching as bubbles formed and popped over her arm.

"Naruto, just what did you do to me?" Ciri asked while poking at one of the bubbles on the surface.

"That's part of my power that will allow you to breathe in where we're going. Oh, and I advise you to hold onto something...because it's gonna be a bumpy ride." Naruto grinned as Ciri blinked

"What do you mean by that Naruto? Aren't we going dow-...AHHH!" The dimensional traveler was almost torn away from the saddle when Asura abruptly propelled upwards like a rocket as a pair of mechanical wings sprouted out of his back, adding even more speed to their already neck-breaking ascent. Just as she was about to slip off the saddle, the claw-like outlines of the chakra shroud around her hands suddenly elongated under her stunned eyes to grab onto thei creator's waist before shrinking to reel Ciri back to safety.

With her arms now firmly fastened around the anchor that was Naruto, Ciri stared at the bubbling crimson cloak in awe and slight disturbance of its apparent sentience.

"I did say to hold onto something, didn't I?" Ciri snapped her gaze away from her arm, only to see Naruto smirking at her. Before she could retort back, her words were snatched away by the howling winds as boom after boom blasted through her ears when Asura broke the sound barrier multiple times on their climb to the outer reaches of the troposphere.

When she realized that any further talk was useless, since she wouldn't be able to hear anything anyways, Ciri diverted her attention to below her. The trees that would have towered above her now looked toothpicks as the men and women of the Varden simply disappeared from view.

It was, without a doubt, the highest she had ever been, and despite her initial fear of extreme heights, she was already beginning to enjoy the experience.

Minus the almost falling off part.

"Hey Ciri, I'm sorry about before, but look up! Didn't you ever want to walk among the clouds?" Naruto yelled, causing Ciri to look up just before they slammed into their first fluffy cloud. Instantly, their surroundings turned white as snow as Asura continued to climb upwards, his breath becoming just a touch labored as the thin atmosphere began to get to him.

On the saddle, Ciri reached out towards the cloud in child-like wonder, the chakra cloak insuring her bones did not snap under the enormous pressure from resisting gravity and exposing bare flesh to supersonic velocities. Another moment passed before they passed through the pure clouds and finally burst out the other side; millions of tiny droplets clung to Asura's body, and he sparkled as if diamonds had been affixed to his already dazzling scales.

But he didn't stop there.

Now slightly straining against the lack of air, Asura slowed from his previous speed until reaching 35,000 feet, the once tiny landscape now obscured by the swirling clouds they had exited from.

Hovering, the three took in the view few had ever seen.

And what a view it was.

To Naruto, such a sight was one he had seen before. In fact, he had seen the entire planet during his fight with Toneri all those years ago. But for Ciri, for all her experience in other worlds, she had never seen anything like it.

Ciri stared at the spectacular display for several moments, awestruck by the glorious, random, unknowable nature of the twinkling lights. Only when she finally lowered her gaze did it occur to her that there was something unusual about the purple-hued horizon. Instead of the sky and the sea meeting in a straight line—as they ought to and always had before—the juncture between them curved, like the edge of an unimaginably big circle.

It was as if a bomb went off in her head.

"The world is round." She whispered, awestruck as one of the truths she had held was utterly shattered at that moment. "The world is round, and the sky is limitless."

Beside her, Naruto gently smiled as he watched Ciri go through the same realization he had went through all those years ago. For several minutes, the trio hovered above the clouds like deities untouched by the mortal plane as they watched the clouds below them twist and turn like living beings until a melodic voice resounded in the blond's head.

"Naruto, just how long are you three going to stay up there? I'll have you know that I just came back from a tent full of fools and stubborn men and now found out that you're taking another woman out on a date above the clouds." Arya's tone became unusually sweet. "I don't need to say anything else, right?"

Naruto's sweat froze upon his brow as one thought ran through his mind. "Urgh, how troublesome..."

"I HEARD THAT NARUTO!"

xXx

Back on the ground, clear beads of sweat gathered on Arya's fair brow as the veins around her eyes bulged up onto her skin, the Tenseigan within glowing with a brilliant green hue around golden lotus patterns.

Thrusting her arm towards the sky, Arya ignored the odd gazes sent her way and concentrated in diverting all the chakra gathered from her eyes into her raised hand. Instantly, said limb began to intensely vibrate as a near invisible flood of chakra sped off towards her targets.

Two seconds passed before an angelic smile alighted on Arya's lips as her uplifted arm stilled.

Then she pulled.

xXx

35,000 feet in the air, Naruto regretted his unclear thoughts. He didn't mean his woman was troublesome, rather just his current situation was...but the misunderstanding was already done and now he had to face the consequences.

Below him, Asura somehow turned a shade paler upon hearing his Rider's inner conversation with his mate as he wondered if he perhaps made the wrong decision of bring the two up so high.

Feeling massive wave of chakra heading directly towards them, Naruto turned around and roughly shook Ciri from her reverie.

"Ciri! I suggest you hold onto something, right now...like RIGHT NOW!"

Her arms immediately clamped down around Naruto's midsection upon his order, Ciri furrowed her brow. "Huh? Why did you...WOAH!"

Out of nowhere, an invisible force yanked the three down from their lofty height, smashing them through the clouds towards the ground: except this time, Asura had no control over their descent. Speeding towards the ground, the force only seemed to grow stronger the closer they were to the earth as they accelerated faster and faster.

Before long, they had broken past the final layer of clouds. With his keen eyesight, Naruto could see his mate on the ground and in front of their tent straining her arm towards them.

"Love? Can you see us?"

No answer.

3000 feet.

Still no answer.

2000 feet.

By now, the two could easily see the smallest details of each other from the whisker birthmarks on Naruto's cheeks to the tiny scar on Arya's chin.

1000 feet.

Naruto was starting to get slightly nervous now. "Uh Arya? You're not thinking about maintaining this velocity until the ground, right?"

Their eyes met with each other, mystical Tenseigan into bright azure blue. Arya sweetly smiled as wildflowers seemingly bloomed all around her.

"What are you talking about Naruto? I just want us to be together again as quickly as possible? Surely you're not complaining about that, right?"

If Naruto wasn't sweating before, he now was. At their current velocity, he knew neither he nor Asura were in any danger, but Ciri...if she didn't teleport out in time, even with his most basic level chakra cloak, she would suffer from horrible internal injuries and more than a few broken bones.

However, he kept faith in Arya that she wouldn't do such a thing when someone so fragile was on board. If it were just him and Asura though...

...no promises.

And his faith was rewarded. A mere 100 feet from the ground, the harsh pulling force suddenly turned into a gentle breeze as the three floated the rest of the way to the ground before softly placing Asura on the ground with hardly a on the ground with hardly a jostle.

The first one off was Ciri.

Flashing to the ground, the Lady of Space and Time almost heaved up the ramen she ate just an hour ago, only just barely keeping it in after much effort.

Now Arya was not a cruel person; in fact, she was probably one of the kindest elves any human could meet. But a combination of an elf's innate nature to never share her mate and the recent betrayal of Faölin had her on edge against any feminine competition despite her utter trust in Naruto.

However, she knew she went too far this time. Extending a fair hand to the young woman, Arya muttered a few words in the ancient language to relieve her discomfort. As Ciri's breathing calmed, she apologized.

"I apologize if I hurt you Ciri. It was never my intention to do so, but I am sorry if I did. However," Arya shot a glance at Naruto, "I would have thought the Jinchuuriki cloak would have at least shielded you from such effects. What happened Naruto?"

Jumping off the saddle, Naruto made his way to the two. "I only had Kurama's chakra surround her and to keep her warm and constantly make oxygen so she wouldn't suffocate up there. However, she still felt the sudden increase velocity since I did not allow that old bastard's chakra to enter her. Although she may be fine with just our chakra, who knows what would have happen if a Bijuu's chakra entered a body with no chakra system. At best, nothing would happen. But at worst...she could explode from it."

On the ground, Ciri paled at the thought the chakra around her could have burst her from the inside out. Grasping Arya's hand, she was quickly brought up to her feet in one smooth motion.

"Although the ending was a little rough, I do have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was like one of those roller coasters I once experienced, except above the clouds." When Ciri saw their blank stares, she realized they had no idea what she meant. Hurrying to clarify her words, she started to wave her hands about to describe the motion...which only drew more confusion from them.

Finally she gave up, but not before shooting Naruto a glare of her own. "Now I know it was supposed to be a harmless joke, but no more sky diving and definitely no more putting me under some kind of magic before you tell me what it is, alright? Or I'm flashing out of here."

Arya and Naruto knew her threat was empty, but they still nodded in agreement. However, Asura just pointedly ignored whatever Ciri said. No way was some human going to order he, the mightiest dragon to be born, around like that.

"Now, about that training, what are you going to be teaching me?" asked Ciri as she got back to the main point, her eyes bright with excitement and expectation.

Only for them to turn uncertain when she saw Arya's creamy complexion turn even paler as a creepy laughter filled the area.

Although Arya was no believer of any religion, especially after meeting Naruto, she still brought her hands up to pray for Ciri in the coming months. A few feet away, Asura scales shook as the intimidating dragon shuddered, already pitying the poor human. She had no idea what was coming.

Just as she was about to step after seeing the two show such haunted expressions, a large hand clamped down on her small shoulders to keep her in place. Mechanically twisting her head towards the source, Ciri blanched when she saw the too cheerful look on Naruto's whiskered face, his elongated canines poking out from his mouth.

"Well little Ciri...I believe I have the perfect tor-training for you, hahaha..."

If possible, Ciri paled even further at his words. "Y-You were about to say torture, weren't you Naruto?! Answer me Naaaa-"

Anything else was cut off as she disappeared from Alagaesia in a swirl of darkness.

Outside, Arya and Asura glanced at each other before coming to the same conclusion.

"She's so fucked."

Notes:

Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed it. Now I know this is mostly filler, but I do think it is important filler! This is to establish Ciri's place in the world as well as her personality towards Naruto, Arya, and Asura and theirs towards her. Out of curiosity, what would guys say to a Stranger Things x Naruto crossover somewhere down the road? If you would be so kind, please leave a review if you enjoyed...or didn't enjoy it, both are fine. If there are any grammatical errors, please put that in the review as well...(just not enough time to review 7000 words when the semester is ending, mercy, please!)


	67. Another Training Victim

Chapter 66

"-ruto!" Ciri stumbled back as her feet slammed back onto the ground. Rapidly blinking her eyes, she steadied herself as she looked around her new environment, her eyes widening when she realized what Naruto just did.

"I knew it! It's the same feeling I get when I teleport between dimensions. So not only can he take out items from these seals, he can also do the same thing as me." Although Naruto's ability to teleport shocked her, it was the sheer ease which he shifted, _no tore_ , space to send her here, wherever here was.

"But where is he?" Ciri muttered as she walked around the seemingly empty plain, pausing when she felt something appear behind her.

"Naruto? That you?"

A warm chuckle greeted her words as the blond appeared in a swirl, clapping in admiration of her sharp perception. "Truly, your uncle must have been not only incredibly observant but also a good teacher to be able to train you up like this."

Ciri smiled at the compliment. " _I wonder what Uncle Vesemir would think if he heard someone as powerful as Naruto praising his skills. Yen and the other sorceresses never did hold his methods and skills in high regard._ "

"So, what are you going to teach me?"

Grinning, Naruto pointed towards a tree several meters away. Turning, she furrowed her brows at the seemingly innocent plant. " _That tree wasn't there before…_ "

"Teleport over there."

Raising her whitened eyebrow at the rather ordinary order, Ciri shrugged before reaching out to touch the fabric of space, her Elder Blood coursing through her veins as she prepared to flash forward like she had so many times.

...only to utterly fail.

For several minutes, Ciri awkwardly stood there, beads of sweat starting to trail down her brow as she strained like never before. But even then, she still failed. Giving up, the Lady of Space and Time placed her hands on her knees, panting from exhaustion from her unexpected failed attempt at a simple teleportation to a target she could see.

"Just, _cough_ , what is this place you brought me into? The space around here is so much denser compared to outside; it's like trying to run through a wall without a running start!" Ciri wheezed, turning to see Naruto still grinning.

Pointing at his eyes, Naruto closed them before blinking them open, his once cerulean eyes now a ghostly purple with several rings and comma-like marks lazily spinning about a central dot.

"Those eyes," Ciri's eyes widened at the sight of those mystical orbs. "Those eyes are the ones I saw during our spar and before you summoned that meteor from the sky!" A light bulb seemed to go off above her head. "Are your powers related to those eyes of yours?"

"If you are talking about this personal dimension of mine, teleporting without preparations, and summoning meteors, then yes, you would be correct. But!" Naruto interrupted when Ciri began to smile in satisfaction. "It's the energy behind the eyes that is the true source of my power, or rather, this planet's power."

"You mean chakra." Ciri answered, remembering what Naruto said earlier about his abilities.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Right now, we are in my personal dimension, also known as the Kamui dimension. It is a place controlled by these eyes right here. In here, I can control time by freely accelerating or decelerating it as I wish. And, it is in here where I will train your ass to the ground."

Ignoring the last part, Ciri was stuck on the 'time' part. "Wait...you can actually control _time_ in here? Like making one year pass in here when only a day passed outside?"

It was understandable why she was so frantic about that part. Despite being called the Lady of Space and Time. she was really only adept at the 'Space' part. The 'Time' part came from when she crossed different timelines, and while impressive, she did not actually know how to manipulate time itself.

"Yep! I can even make it so even if a whole year passes by in here, only an hour would go by outside." Naruto partially revealed; he didn't test the full extent of his time-manipulation capabilities in the Kamui since such a process could take years and years.

And nobody wanted to spend all that time alone. Or at least, he didn't.

"Anyways, part of your training will be trying to teleport to that tree. Once you're able to do so, we can move onto the next part. While the other parts…" Ciri grew nervous when Naruto's voice trailed off.

"And the other part…?"

With lightning speed, Naruto slapped weight seals on all four of Ciri's limbs before cranking it up to 100 pounds per limb. While overkill for regular humans, he had seen her abnormal strength earlier in their spar.

And as he expected, Ciri merely dropped to one knee with an unlady-like grunt before struggling her way back up to her feet to scowl at him.

"...is physical training!" Naruto cheerfully finished.

Her scowl deepened; she wasn't happy.

Straining to raise her arm, Ciri jabbed a finger at him. "What the hell Naruto, didn't you just promise that you wouldn't put me under any kind of spell before telling me what it does?"

Naruto raised a blond eyebrow before innocently asking, "Oh, did I ever say that? How come I don't remember saying such a thing? How mysterious..."

Ciri's hands twitched in response before groaning as she just gave up pursuing it. Her mind was already aching from all the new experiences, revelations, impossibilities, and near death situations today. Something minor like weight seals was nothing compared to those.

Seeing her make no other moves, Naruto continued on. "As long you are in this world, you will wear those weights. Every single time you get used to them, I will up the weight; before you leave us, I'll take them off. Another part of the physical training will be," a blunted kunai appeared in his hand, "target practice. I noticed before, in your teleports, that you'll always eye the place you will be moving to."

Ciri's expression didn't change at that; after all, wasn't it natural to first look then move?

"I see that you don't understand what I'm getting at. While it's not entirely wrong to first see where you want to go, it's the amount of time you spend thinking about going there is far too slow." Naruto explained.

"So in other words, my reflexes are too slow." It was a problem she understood, but never knew how to solve. Back home, there were no safe methods to train said reflexes while with Avallac'h, he only spent the time trying to stuff esoteric spells and theories into her mind in the hopes that one day, she'll magically understand and hopefully stop the White Frost.

But what Naruto said next stunned her as he nodded. "Correct, but it's not only your reflexes. It's your method of choosing where to teleport. Right now, I theorize that for short distances, such as in combat, you first observe a single area you want to teleport to and then reach out to bend space and time to flash to your target location. But what if you were able to visualize the entire area around you and then simply choose where to go? In combination with faster reflexes…"

"...I would be unstoppable." Ciri blood heated up at the blond's words. She could already see what it would be like: the ability to teleport in a set area hundreds if not thousands of times in the blink of an eye. Just who could possibly stand up to her then?

Naruto gave a thumbs up at her. "Yep, so not only will you be dodging those coming at you, but you will also be catching every kunai not directly aimed at you. Eventually, you will be catching every single one of these, including those coming at you. Only then will this portion of training be finished."

"I see, so when will we start then?" Ciri could hardly wait; finally, she had someone capable of training her without going into those weird explanations of the elven sage. However, to her disappointment, Naruto shook his head in denial.

"We won't start today. While it's true that training is good and all, right now you're still exhausted from travelling to this world and our previous spar, not to mention going and coming down 35,000 feet in mere minutes. You need rest and," A loud growl roared out between them. Naruto bluntly stared at the furiously blushing Ciri's stomach, "and food, a lot of it."

Ciri didn't deny it. In truth, she was indeed hiding her physical and mental exhaustion and the ramen, no matter how filling, was far from enough to replace the energy she used earlier. The only reason she didn't ask for more was because she didn't want to over impose on their hospitality and appear rude. Taking a sniff of her clothing, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"And a bath if you don't mind, Naruto."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Agreed, now let's go back outside and get you all rested up." And with that, two black swirls appeared as the pair were transported back to where Arya and Asura waited.

xXx

Back in the real world, Asura was currently telling Saphira about their little trip to the edge of the stratosphere and the wondrous sights he saw while beside her, Eragon waited with Arya for Naruto and his guest to appear.

"Arya, was what you said in the tent really true?" Arya glanced towards the young Rider. "Did Galbatorix really turn all of Dras-Leona into flesh-eating monsters?" He still couldn't believe that Galbatorix would do such a thing; although undeniably mad and cruel, he was still the king, a leader and protector of the people of the Empire.

Shutting her brilliant green eyes, she sighed at her fellow chakra user's confusion. "Eragon, when you think about it, it's not at all surprising what Galbatorix did. Remember that ever since he became king, he has never known defeat, never known rejection...until Naruto appeared. Thousands of feet above the air, on Shruikan no less, and after defeating Oromis-elda and Glaedr-elda who was one of the major reasons for not receiving another dragon, his confidence facing Naruto must have been at an all time high. And then to get so easily defeated...is it that surprising that in his humiliation and fear, he would try to avenge himself by taking down the Varden in the cruelest way possible, by the people they're trying to save?"

Eragon gritted his teeth at the mention of his respected teachers almost being killed by the mad king. He had already scryed with the two earlier today and from their own mouths, he knew just how close to death Oromis had been during his duel with Galbatorix. Although the wounds themselves were not that serious, the huge amount of blood loss from those stabs that almost sent him to the other side. It was one of the limitations of magic; while the flesh could be sung back together, the muscles reknit, blood could not be created out of nothing.

If it weren't for the Menoa Tree's intervention, he would have lost yet another father figure.

Next to the pondering Dragon Rider, Arya nodded in approval of Eragon's actions and questions. The fact he didn't ask about her mate's actions meant he was learning that not everything could be resolved with no bloodshed, that some actions were necessary.

Reaching out, she clasped Eragon's shoulder. "Your time with Naruto and Oromis-elda was not wasted, Eragon-finiarel. When you reestablish the Dragon Rider Order, there will be many hard choices you will have to make and not all of them will be to your liking. Such is...politics." Both Arya and Eragon grimaced at the word, one because her mother always pressured her to take up more responsibility, and the other due to having seen, first hand, the harsh life leaders and kings led for the sake of their people.

Sighing, Eragon massaged the space between his brows as he thought about all the trouble he would have to go through in reviving the Dragon Rider Order, even when he had the combined wisdom of the Eldunari and Oromis. " _Don't even talk about negotiations, just where are we going to make our new base of operations? Maybe I should ask Naruto about that before he leaves…ah, there he is!_ "

As he watched Naruto and his guest appear back from the void, Eragon frowned when a flash of sadness ran through him at the thought that one of his mentors about to leave his life after the war. While Oromis taught him the art of magic and wisdom, it was Naruto who helped him discover his true name and unlocked his true potential.

Seeing his pseudo-student and friend, Naruto waved him over while opening the tent flap for Ciri. "Yo Eragon, perfect timing, get on over here. We have much to talk about."

Eragon blinked at the sudden greeting and order before wryly shaking his head in amusement while promptly following after Arya into the spacious tent. Outside, Saphira looked at the flapping entrance where her Rider and his friends disappeared into before glancing at Asura. Seriously, what was this guy eating? He was already as long as she was and far larger with his metal plates!

Sensing her gaze, the black dragon stared back with blazing eyes. "Wanna fly?"

The azure dragon shrugged; she already knew their meeting was going to take a while. "Why not?"

xXx

Inside the tent, the four sat around the table, with Naruto, Arya, and Ciri on one side and Eragon on the other, steaming cups of tea in front of them courtesy of the blond. In addition to her cup of tea, three large bowls of fresh ramen laid in front of Ciri, the first already half-way done.

Staring at the ravenous woman, Eragon asked the questions in his head. "Naruto, not that I mind, but what did you mean by 'perfect timing'? And who is this?" Back in the tent, he hadn't been able to ask the question due to the prideful werecat king making a muck of things. It was a wonder to him that the leader of a race legendary for its foresight and wisdom would turn out to be so short-sighted and hasty over a supposed insult that he initiated.

Now taking the time to observe the eating white-haired lady beside his mentor, Eragon noted the looping scar that ran from under her eye to her ear as well as the large sword on her back. Her thin clothes did little to hide the lightly defined but powerful muscles hidden from his sharp eyes.

Even as Eragon observed her, so too did Ciri, between her large mouthfuls of ramen and toppings. She had to admit, the boy was quite the looker with his tapered features and almost delicate looks. Combined with his lean and chiseled muscles, he was almost irresistible to most females. In fact, the women she knew back home would probably make a pass or three on the young Rider to get in his pants, even if it was just for the night.

" _A pity he's not my type._ " Ciri mused; she wasn't that into pretty boys like most of her female friends. However, what she did find more interesting than his fair appearance were the many calluses and scars that marked along Eragon's hands and palms, as well as the large fleshy growths along the knuckles of his hands: signs she knew intimately that spoke of long hours with the sword and cleaving down of men.

" _So he's a warrior, and a Dragon Rider too if that sapphire dragon is his._ "

" _So she's a warrior...and a capable one too if Naruto is personally interested in her._ "

The two determined as they both raised their cups to their mouths while Naruto introduced the them to each other.

"Eragon, this is Ciri. And Ciri, this is my student Eragon. And before you ask, yes, he's another Dragon Rider. That big blue lizard outside was his dragon." Eragon almost spat his tea out when he heard his other half being introduced as a 'big blue lizard' in front of someone else, much to the amusement of the trio across from him. Coughing into his hand, he attempted to correct his mentor.

"Dragon Naruto...dragon, not lizard."

Naruto absently waved away Eragon's words. "Meh, whatevs. Asura certainly doesn't complain all that much when Kurama or I call him an overgrown lizard."

" _That's because it's you, a literal god in human flesh, and Kurama, a behemoth fox who casually crushes mountains just by laying on them, are the ones saying it! Anyone else wouldn't even have their ashes remaining!_ " Eragon mentally complained while Ciri looked confused at the mention of Kurama. Shaking his head in exasperation, he asked that Naruto get to the point.

And so Naruto did. For the next half hour, the blond had Ciri explain where she came from and how she came to their world, as well as the Wild Hunt that even now continued to hunt her for her power. However, as before, the Lady of Space and Time chose to keep information of the White Frost hidden; that was solely her responsibility and no one else's.

When she finished, the teenage Dragon Rider rocked back into his seat, his mind, along with Saphira's and the Eldunari's hidden behind him, was blown. To think there were so many worlds, so many dimensions right beside his own, yet just out of reach, separated by a barrier he couldn't hope to breach. Had it been anyone else informing him of this, he wouldn't have believed it.

But it was Naruto who told him, and the blond would never lie to him on matters like these. Plus, he had seen-more like felt-when Ciri flash forward to poke his cheek before flashing back to finish her bowls of porky goodness.

Not even with his chakra-enhanced elven reflexes was he able to detect her movement. He could only helplessly admit that the woman barely two feet away was able to casually do what only Naruto could do...teleport.

It was wonderful, it was breathtaking, it was…

Scary.

Yes, Eragon felt fear as a chill ran down his spine. It had to be understood that despite being a legendary Dragon Rider, despite having been in battlefields involving hundreds of thousands of men, despite having learned from two of the most powerful beings in all of Alagaesia...he was still only sixteen years old, a boy in some cultures, who still hadn't had his first kiss and was already burdened by the onerous task to kill the most notorious and powerful traitor in Alagaesia's history.

Now he discovered the existence of other worlds, and that some of these worlds were capable of crossing the dimensional barrier into his own and were only interested in taking his species as slaves...it was no wonder he felt some amount of dread. Although he was confident in his strength and the dragons', it was near impossible to monitor all of Alagaesia, never mind the whole world for these extra-dimensional threats.

An ordinary man would have despaired, his mind quaking in panic at his utter powerlessness to protect the land and people he loved from threats he could not even touch.

But Eragon was anything but ordinary. Taking a deep breath, the young Dragon Rider calmed himself before fixing a steady gaze at the three.

"What do you want me to do about this?"

Naruto nodded in approval. Truly, his fellow Rider has come a long way from the farm boy he once was.

"Eragon, it may not be today, it may not even be a year from now. But one day, I will leave this world, and on that day I hope you and the Dragon Rider Order will take up the duty of protecting our world, our home."

For a moment, all was silent except for the thumps of boots as the Varden began to march towards Urû'baen to meet with the elves in a week before its gates. Inside, Naruto felt a sense of guilt as he asked his much younger friend, somebody who could be his grandson, to shoulder such a heavy burden. He knew it wasn't fair, and it only grew worse when he thought about how he already had enough on his plate, what with his duties as a peacekeeper of Alagaesia as well as the leader of the new Dragon Rider Order for the next few centuries.

" _Maybe it was a mistake for me to ask Eragon to shoulder the task when it should be me doing it._ " Just as Naruto was about to take back his request, Eragon wearily sighed, his shoulders slightly slumped as he took on another responsibility for the world.

"So be it, Naruto. But I want something in return."

"Anything, I promise." Naruto leaned forward, his arms crossed under his chest.

"I want you to create a safe haven for the Dragon Riders, a place nigh impenetrable to thieves and armies while still being able to support the growth of the dragons." Eragon didn't bother asking whether Naruto could do it or not.

He knew he could. But most importantly of all...because he promised.

Naruto thought for a moment before coming up with two options he had been thinking of for a while. Holding up two raised fingers, he gave his solutions.

"I'll do it, but you'll have to decide between two options. For the first one, I could purify the entirety of Vroengard and restore it to how it once was. While the lives lost there will not be revived, the necessary structures will be there. As for the oddities that now reside on the island, well, I'll leave it up to you. As for the other…" Naruto pointed up at the roof of the tent.

"I'll do what I said for the first option...except I'll make it also float 10,000 feet above the Hadrac Desert. Take your pick, Eragon."

Two pairs of jaws promptly slammed to the ground at the sage's words. Off to Naruto's side, Arya watched with amusement as Ciri turned to look at her lover with a trembling finger pointing at him in mute astonishment. As for Eragon, she saw her fellow student quickly pick up his jaw from the ground as he helplessly shrugged before choosing the latter option.

Really, he should have known better than to be surprised by whatever Naruto proposed.

"Hey Naruto, didn't you just say you weren't some god or deity? Then how come the first thing I hear coming out of your mouth to Eragon over there is something only a god could do?" Ciri poked at Naruto's shoulder, her tone conveying her disbelief and annoyance at him.

Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "You're not gonna stop reminding me about that, are you?"

"Nope!"

Chuckling at their little interaction, Eragon smoothly got to his feet. "Really, I shouldn't be surprised by whatever you do. But still, to make Vroengard float above the Hadrac Desert, I can't wait to see how you will do it." Letting sunlight spill into the tent, Eragon waved goodbye before striding out, already calling out for Saphira.

Back inside, Naruto also stood up, his eyes already switching to the Rinne-Sharingan as he readied himself to bring them all into his Kamui. However, he waited for a certain someone…' _thump!'_ and there he was.

" _Good, now everyone is here._ " Smiling, he sent a burst of chakra into his eyes. "Kamui!"

And before the eyes of the stragglers of the army, space and time twisted as Asura and the tent's inhabitants disappeared.

xXx

Reappearing before a large inn that he had built in his spare time, Naruto resealed the tent into one of his many seals permanently etched into his flesh.

Calling out at the blinking Ciri, he pointed at the building behind her. "Oi Ciri! You can take a bath over there! After that, just pick any room to sleep in. I'll make sure to wake you early in the morning for the _very fun_ training session! Hohoho..." Creepily laughing, Naruto shunshin'd off to who knows where, no doubt in preparation for tomorrow's...activities.

Ciri looked at the nearby elf. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

Arya quickly confirmed it with a nod, far too quick to her liking. "Very."

"Will I regret it?"

She smiled. "No."

xXx

In the dim throne room of Urû'baen, a certain king paced in front of his most loyal generals and agents, his coal-black eyes now red with fury as he listened to the reports of one of the men he had ordered to watch over the fall of Dras-Leona from the next city over. Trembling, the subjects-other than the one speaking-dared not to even breathe too loudly in the fear that the mad man would find them annoying and erase their existence. It only grew worse when the news bearer narrated the destruction of the entire city and the deaths of the Lethrblaka.

 _Boom!_

A pitch black aura of chakra exploded from Galbatorix's body as he drew on the broken Eldunari in his rage, forcing his subjects to crash to the cold stone floor with enough force to almost fracture bones as their king's might threatened to crush them through presence alone. Forced to kneel on all fours like beasts, it was only after several minutes when the traitor forcibly calmed himself, his chakra slowly retreating back into his body, when the pressure disappeared. But still, all but one didn't dare to move after his outburst.

When one of the generals saw his liege restrain himself, he slowly got back up to one knee. "My King, the Black Hand has reported the swift advances of both the elven host as well as the Varden. Currently the elves number over 10,000 while the Varden consists of almost 130,000 men, Urgals, and dwarves with Eragon Shadeslayer in the lead. They'll be here within half a fortnight."

Galbatorix's eyes narrowed at the lack of mention of his greatest nemesis. "And Naruto? Did your spies find that man's whereabouts?"

The cunning and valiant general stiffened his broad shoulders before gritting his teeth to steel himself for Galbatorix's inevitable displeasure. "No. There has been no sight of Naruto after the incident at the Varden camp."

Galbatorix arched a charcoal eyebrow; this…incident was news to him. "What incident do you speak of?"

A bead of sweat running down his forehead was the only sign of the general's apprehension. "According to the timeline pieced together from the spies' reports, it was determined that shortly after Naruto wiped Dras-Leona from the map, a meteor as large as the tallest mountain of the Spine fell towards the Varden camp. Nothing the elves or the Varden's spellcasters attempted worked…until a large glowing orange hand leapt out from the camp and crushed it to dust."

Galbatorix's brow jumped violently at the news. " _Even if Oromis was there, it would have been impossible for that old man to destroy something that large. No…the only one capable,_ " cracks filled the air as his gloved hands tightly clenched tightly around the replacement Rider sword at his waist, " _is that bastard!_ "

Rage and fear once again bubbled within him at the knowledge of his foe having power beyond his own before giving away to an icy calm as he relaxed his fingers around his sword. When the general saw the madness mostly fade from his king's eyes, he voiced out the question lingering in everyone's mind.

"My King, what should we do?"

Closing his eyes, Galbatorix raced through plan after plan as he looked for a way to crush all of his enemies. The Varden itself was of little consequence, their numbers mattered not when compared to his own and the city's defenses. No, what he worried about was Naruto and his students.

" _But not even at my best was I able to best Naruto and if he comes...I'm finished. But from the previous battles, he never involved himself too deeply in them. Yet, even then, he was able to kill tens of thousands of my men. My only chance of survival is to break him mentally, and then kill him when he's vulnerable. But how? If even my full strength is not enough, then there is no force in the world capable of doing so, unless..._ " A cruel smile crossed his face when the image of an elf flashed through his head he came up with a strategy sure to break Naruto should it succeed.

" _But first…_ "

"General Barst!" The general who was speaking snapped to attention as he lowered his head in deference.

"Yes, my King!"

Muttering several words in the ancient language, Galbatorix reluctantly withdrew fifty moderately sized Eldunari from the horde in his pocket dimension before flicking them towards the men gathered in the room. As they landed in their hands, he relayed information of what these gem-like orbs were, much to the astonishment and greed of the others. To have the soul and power of a dragon within their hands...how intoxicating it must have be.

But before they could think any further, the king reined them in with a powerful pulse of chakra. Trembling in fear, those who briefly had thoughts of grandeur quickly dispersed them back into the abyss when they were reminded of who held the reins to their lives.

Smirking in satisfaction, Galbatorix commanded them, "You are to take the Eldunari and use them to target the commanders of the Varden, especially Queen Islanzadí and Ajihad. Should those two fall, I will allow you all to keep the Eldunari for as long as you live. You have it on my word as King of Alagaesia."

As the generals and agents gasped in surprise, a silky voice burrowed into their minds. " _You are all to target the leaders of the Varden, but most of all, you must kill this elf! No matter the cost! Now go!_ " Several sharp intakes of breath of wonder and lust echoed out as the image of a breathtakingly beautiful elf with flawless fair skin and alluring green eyes materialized in their heads, causing lustful thoughts and perverted fantasies to raise their ugly heads. Without another word, they bowed one last time before heading towards their tasks.

But when a man garbed in black leather with a faded, symbol of a hand embossed on its front was about to exit the throne room, Galbatorix suddenly reached out with his mind, effortlessly piercing through his subordinate's formidable mental barriers.

" _Wait, there is something the Black Hand must do._ " Pausing, the man silently turned back and knelt down to one knee, his reverence towards his king radiating from his still form. With a twisted smile, the traitor of the Riders lightly drummed his fingers against the golden throne. " _Take a contingent of men to Carvahall and bring all the villagers here. Should they resist, cut off an arm."_ Insanity flashed across his black eyes, " _and should they continue to resist...kill them, starting with the youngest._ "

Bowing his head, the agent of the Black Hand unemotionally answered, "It shall be done, my king," before swiftly disappearing into the shadows.

Once again alone, the thinly suppressed madness ran rampant in his eyes as Galbatorix inwardly sneered. " _Fool, you revealed your hand far too early. You think yourself so clever Naruto, that I wouldn't notice that you had some way of spying on me after your impossibly fast response time in Dras-Leona. Now in your pride and arrogance, even if I perish, I will take away the one person you love, destroy your student, and YOU WILL...KNOW...PAIN!_ "

Up in the night sky, the stars seemed to darken as the sound of demented laughter rumbled through the capital city of the Broddring Empire, a grim sign of the coming bloody conflict to come for supremacy of Alagaesia.

Notes: Thank you everyone for reading and hopefully enjoying the chapter! To those who left a review, you guys are awesome and I thank you again for doing so. I know this chapter is much shorter than usual, but I thought it would be best to cut it here now and have the last battle for Alagaesia have its own chapter(s) and when that finishes, so will this entry of Ever Onwards. Thank you for reading, and PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW :)

P.S. I'm thinking of getting a beta or editor...but I have no idea how to get one. If anyone is interested, shoot me a PM. Thanks!


	68. The Day Before Battle

Chapter 67

 _Swish!_

 _Swish! Swish!_

 _Swish! Swish! Swish!Crack!_

"OW!"

Sounds of training and the occasional yelps of pain echoed through the forest in Naruto's Kamui as his clones ruthlessly trained his new student into the ground. Leaning in the shade against one of the many Mokuton trees, Arya observed in silent amusement as Ciri desperately dodged a constant barrage of blunted kunai on all sides by her lover's clones.

" _Now that it's not me getting kunai thrown at, I can see why Naruto loves training others._ " Arya uncharacteristically smirked as a dull kunai bonked off of Ciri's forehead, not realizing how corrupted her thoughts had become. But before she could continue watching the show, a certain blond's grinning whiskered face abruptly popped up in front of her.

"Boo."

Not even bothering to twitch at his sudden upside-down appearance, as she was wont to do, Arya merely smiled back before leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Boo, Naruto." Pulling back, she chuckled when she saw Naruto pout in dissatisfaction at the short kiss, his eyes all scrunched up into tiny slits. But when she tried to casually flick a finger at his forehead for attempting to scare her, he instinctively tilted his head to the side to avoid the potentially deadly digit.

"..."

Blinking owlishly, Arya felt her temple faintly twitch as she stared at Naruto, who had shifted his gaze to a patch of bushes while innocently whistling. That didn't stop him from weaving his head like a bobblehead around the flurry of finger flicks she suddenly sent his way, their motions but a blur as they casually defied the laws of physics in their little game of cat and mouse.

By then, Ciri had noticed the not so subtle commotion her _elders_ were making. Her eyes still sometimes twinged-definitely not because of the several close calls with certain instruments of death-when she remembered the time when she asked the two their ages, only to discover that they were even older than her parents who were already almost a century old.

The fact the object of her affection (yes, she knew it was wrong to crush on a man who loved another) was old enough to be her grandfather just made her already murky feelings toward her teacher all the more confusing. Personally, she blamed it on suddenly having so much _time_ on her hands, without the need to constantly look over her shoulder-not that she was complaining of course. Had she continued to have been chased, not that she was complaining of course, she probably never would have found herself falling for the endearing blond.

Although Ciri by nature was headstrong and willful when it came to love and relationships, even she knew it was wrong to have such feelings towards Naruto, especially when he already belonged to another.

Yet despite all that, she still couldn't get rid of the blond from her mind.

" _Perhaps I should give up on this foolish...Damnit!_ " Dodging another kunai by a hair's breadth, any thoughts about the real Naruto momentarily evaporated as Ciri sweatdropped when it drilled into the ground before disappearing entirely.

"Hey! Are you trying to kill me?! What if I hadn't dodged that?!" Irately yelling at her merciless instructor's clones, she tilted her head to the side just in time for one of the blunt kunai to pulverize one of her stray strands of snowy hair into dust. Inspecting the split end, Ciri irritably glared towards one of Naruto's clones, who merely stuck its tongue out at her.

"Don't worry lil' White! Even if you're on the edge of death, the Boss will fix you right up...like the last hundred times! Now dodge!" The clone wickedly cackled when four more kunai appeared in each of its hands, his fellow clones mirroring its actions as they too prepared to start another round, their brilliant grins almost blinding their victim.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? AND DON'T CALL ME THAT, MY HAIR IS ASHEN OR GREY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Ciri loudly protested against her misnomer of a nickname as she subconsciously ducked under the projectiles aimed at her back, all the while thinking about what she learned of her somewhat sadistic sensei in the past month and his contradictory nature.

It didn't take very long after she arrived to come to the conclusion that despite the harsh and even brutal training Naruto imposed on her, the man was a big softie inside. Outside of their grueling sessions, Ciri never found anything to complain about her host: he never tried to restrict her freedom in or outside of the Kamui or pry into her history, and yet another reason. Rather, he was content with their occasional talks about her home and fantastic journey...although said journey mostly consisted of her fleeing through numerous worlds without having the time to peruse them at her leisure.

And unlike what most have done upon discovering her extraordinary abilities, Naruto didn't try to exploit her power for his own agenda.

" _Then again, after seeing what he could do over the past weeks, it's understandable that he merely had a passing curiosity of my powers. Instead, he was far more interested about the monsters of my world._ " Ciri wrly thought as more knives flew at her.

She did find it rather amusing however at how quickly Naruto paled when she mentioned ghosts and specters and his insistent claims that he feared no such thing. To think someone like him would be afraid of such a thing...it made him seem more human with such an odd fear.

With this, if she hadn't known that he had just destroyed an entire city and its residents the night he found her, Ciri would never have suspected him capable of harming a fly, which greatly helped her quickly get over her initial fear of the blond and his impossible powers. It didn't seem possible for a someone who loved life as he did and was capable of such a bright, infectious, and _pure_ smile to be remotely capable of killing anyone.

So when Ciri first saw Naruto's uncharacteristically nonchalant manner towards the terrible war against the most powerful and insane king in the history of Alagaesia and the fate of her people; it confused her. She couldn't begin to make sense of his conflicting actions; how could such a person ignore all of the death happening around him and still be capable of smiling after massacring 100,000 innocent civilians?.

She even wondered if she had somehow read Naruto wrongly all this time; while rare, wouldn't be the first time she did. But, as Ciri leapt away from several kunai that would have at least cracked her bones, the young lass's bright eyes slightly glazed over as her mind wandered to the memory of that night a few days ago.

 _Flashback_

 _Three weeks had passed since Alagaesia received its first extra-dimensional guest, the powerful and elusive Lady of Space and Time...who was currently dead to the world in the middle of a clearing from a combination of exhaustion and a blow to the head from a certain elf._

 _Several hours had passed since Naruto and Arya moved away from the moonlit glade, leaving Ciri spread-eagled on the soft grass. Had nothing happened, she likely would have stayed unconscious if it weren't for the presence of a playful gust of wind tickling her nose._

 _Sneezing, her eyes fluttered open._

" _Owwww...my head." Lifting her callused hand to clutch the growing lump on her otherwise flawless forehead, Ciri weakly moaned out...only to hiss out in intense pain when she accidentally applied too much pressure against the dark purple bump. It took a few seconds of flopping about like a dying fish before the piercing agony faded to a more manageable dull ache._

" _Neither of those two show any mercy, do they?" Ciri grumbled at Naruto's lack of tact against the fairer gender as she laid on her back while staring at the twinkling stars. Not for the first time, she wondered exactly how large her teacher's_ _Kamui_ _dimension. Even now, after spending almost a month in his pocket dimension, she still wondered just how large this place was, especially when it contained its own full sun-moon cycle, thousands of stars, as well as a seemingly endless amount of land. There were even animals and insects present all around her._

 _It was as if there was an entire universe hidden behind those strange eyes of his._

 _With just the gentle breeze as her companion, several quiet minutes passed by before Ciri abruptly sighed, unable to return to the land of dreams despite it being late and having rested for several hours...if being knocked out could be considered as resting. Rolling over onto her toned belly, the battered foreigner unsteadily began to lift herself off the ground, all the while grumbling out quiet curses and promises of retribution toward the immortal pair._

 _Of course she didn't really mean any of them._

 _...Didn't stop her from doing so anyways._

 _Once she was back on her feet, Ciri blinked away the stars behind her eyelids before beginning to aimlessly wander about the forest without any particular destination in mind._

" _Might as well train this damn bloodline of mine if I can't sleep." Relying on the light from the luminescent moon and stars, she made her way to the edge of the woods, her once wobbly steps growing stronger by the minute . Finally reaching batting away the last branch obstructing her path to her target, Ciri briefly paused, slowly inhaling and then exhaling before reaching into the space within her that contained a power familiar, yet as wild and uncontrollable as the sea herself, and grabbing as much of it as she could._

 _And then in a flash of ghostly green, she disappeared… only to reappear a handful of feet away from her starting position. Glancing back, Ciri clucked her tongue in slight disapproval at her unsuccessful attempt._

" _Tch, so even that's not enough." Steeling herself, she continued to hop towards the tree._

 _After almost a hundred jumps, Ciri finally arrived several yards from her target, its leaves faintly rustling in the wind, before falling to her knees while gasping for air as small beads of sweat dripped and soaked into the ground. Had it been anywhere else, even back outside in Alagaesia, such a feat would have not even consumed half the energy it did here, if even that._

 _Nevertheless…_

" _Well, at least I'm finally able to teleport in here." Ciri muttered as she climbed back onto her feet, an action she had become quite familiar with in the past several weeks._

 _But just as she was preparing herself for the last blink that would carry her to the towering oak, she paused as her attention was drawn to something that didn't quite belong up in her tree. Narrowing her eyes, she soon spotted the tips of a very familiar blond's spiky hair poking amongst the whispering leaves as they swayed in the wind._

 _It wasn't difficult to determine the identity of the one sitting in the tree._

" _If I'm not mistaken, that's definitely Naruto...the real one. But what's he doing here, shouldn't he be asleep by now?" Ciri dared not even move another inch closer in fear of alerting her seemingly omniscient teacher._

 _Instead she craned her neck in an attempt to peer past the barrier of leaves and branches, and as she did, managing to catch a glimpse of him facing the moon while leaning against the trunk nearly six feet above her on one of its thickest branches-a flask of what she assumed to be some form of alcoholic drink loosely held in his hand._

 _At first glance, nothing appeared out of the ordinary; yet something about the current Naruto bothered her._

" _Something's different."Several seconds passed as Ciri waited in silence before she realized something odd. By now, Naruto should have noticed her even if he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. In fact, he should have noticed the instant she began to loudly make her way through the forest._

 _But he didn't._

" _Must be because of that drink in his hand." Ciri mused, a little startled at both the fact there was something capable of rendering Naruto intoxicated enough to not her sense her or that he was even drinking in the first place. While she wouldn't claim to know all his habits and vices, she did notice that unlike most, if not all the warriors she had encountered across the worlds, Naruto never drank anything resembling alcohol, around her at least. So for him to not only be drinking something resembling alcohol but also be muddled enough to not even notice her presence, even when his absurd senses allowed him to sense wherever she was, it was unusual to say the least._

" _It doesn't matter, now's my chance!" Another moment passed before Ciri brushed aside her growing concerns, and finding she wasn't going to get anymore information from her current position...figured this was her chance to finally repay Naruto for all of the pranks he played on her these past few weeks-especially one in particular._

 _Up to this day, she still didn't know HOW Naruto managed to replace the thick, nigh permanent black mascara layer around her eyes for a dreadful neon orange. Not that she particularly disliked the color, but it looked absolutely hideous on her._

 _So although there seemed to be something odd going on, there was no way in hell she was going to pass this rare chance up._

" _Let's see how you like it when it's you getting pranked Naruto." Ciri wickedly smirked, her brilliant white teeth gleaming in the dark as she leaned down to apply all of her training from Geralt and Vesemir to silently stalk her still unsuspecting prey._

 _And so step by careful step, Ciri quietly crept closer to the target of her revenge, the hushed brushing sounds of her feet as she padded through the coarse grass blanketed by the whistling wind. After several tense moments, she finally arrived beneath the branch Naruto was perched on. Coming to a halt, she squinted the foot hanging just several feet above her, a mischievous grin lighting up her face._

" _Sorry, but not sorry, about this Naruto, but you've had this coming ever since the day you messed with my makeup! Vengeance shall be mine!"_

 _Coiling her powerful muscles , Ciri shot up from the ground, leaving a small impression in the grass as she leaped over four feet into the air to drag Naruto's foot down to the dirt with her. "Ha, got you!" The moment she felt Naruto's sturdy ankle between her gloved fingers, she immediately clamped down on it with the ferociousness of a drowner in water. For an instant, a wide grin split her face when she felt the relentless hold of gravity begin to pull the both of them back down…_

 _...before quickly disappearing as her, or rather their, progress came to an abrupt halt._

" _What the...oh, come on!" Ciri groaned in frustration when she saw a thin layer of nearly invisible chakra instinctively and stubbornly gluing its owner to the branch. Sighing, she closed her eyes in defeat as she prepared for the inevitable bout of teasing from Naruto for her failed prank._

 _One second...two seconds….three seconds..._

 _Only after a whole minute passed in silence did Ciri finally realize that Naruto still hadn't reacted to her. While strange, she didn't complain about the unexpected boon, instead using the time to prepare a suitable excuse for trying to unceremoniously dump him to the ground._

" _Naruto, this isn't what it looks like…ah!" Just as Ciri shifted her gaze away from Naruto's sandal clad foot to his face, a stray moonbeam struck her eyes, momentarily blinding her with its gentle brilliance. Rubbing away the stars under her eyelids with her free hand, they soon opened as she again turned her gaze upwards._

" _As I was about to say…"_

 _Once again, her words abruptly caught in her throat...but this time, it was not because of any moonbeam._

 _For a moment, she dazedly stared at the man who's ankle she clung to as the dark shadows that once hid Naruto from view finally began to melt away under the light of the full moon. And when they finally did, she felt her heart painfully clench like a vice, because the man before her…_

 _...wasn't the one she knew._

 _The Naruto Ciri knew was warm, kind, mischievous, and unreasonably powerful. Yet, it was not these traits that she found most important; rather it was who he was to her._

 _A teacher unlike any other._

 _A warrior without equal._

 _And most of all, a friend who could somehow emphasize with her despite his still frustratingly murky background._

 _Not once in the past month she's known him did she ever see an exception to this._

 _But now...now she could almost feel his age and an inkling of the numerous tribulations he must have gone through through his body: his broad shoulders, capable of bearing the weight of the world itself, slumped forward, the aura of utter confidence and invincibility he wore like a second skin, gone. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight as his hand, the reaper of over a 100,000 lives, shakily rose for another swig of Oromis's secret stash of enchanted faelnirv._

 _However, what troubled and startled her the most were the tears that steadily trickled down from the corner of his closed eyes along the side of his scarred cheeks as he continued to silently face the starlit sky._

 _Perhaps it was not her place to do so, but at that very moment, an unbidden desire to climb up and hold him tight, to shield him from whatever could possibly make somebody like him with godlike power, cry. And it was this desire that caused her to unconsciously tighten her grip, accomplishing what her initial jump couldn't._

 _The Rinne-Sharingan, eyes that could enrapture the world itself, slowly cracked open, casting all its path in an eerie lavender glow as Naruto tilted his gaze away from the lonely moon. And when those orbs of creation and destruction finally alighted on Ciri, she felt her breath catch in her throat, almost forgetting how to breathe as the lazily spinning nine tomoe gradually drew her deeper into its bottomless depths._

 _So captivated was she by Naruto's eyes, Ciri didn't even feel her slackened hand let go of his ankle._

" _...oof!"_

 _A small grunt forced its way through Ciri's lips as her ass landed on the unforgiving ground, quickly breaking whatever spell binded her._

" _Owowow, when did I fall to the ground?" Her memory of the past few seconds momentarily scrambled, Ciri winced as she rubbed at the stinging pain that flared from her bruised butt cheeks, lamenting how her prank had backfired on her. However, a quiet chuckle from above caused her to abruptly remember the short chain of memories that led to her current position. Snapping her head back up, she suddenly shivered when a pair of glazed, grief-stricken cerulean orbs stared right into her own before returning their attention back to the heavens, a sad smile on his face._

 _For several minutes, she continued to just sit there afore a disappointed frown pulled down her lips._

" _He didn't see me, did he?"While fleeting, Ciri had seen the glassy look in his eyes before he looked away. That was the look of someone lost in his memories, something she was personally very familiar with. It was the same expression she saw every time she looked into a mirror or water whenever she had a quiet moment to herself to remember who she was before all of...this._

 _Still, it pained her for somebody she had come to care about to not even notice her or her presence, despite looking straight at her._

" _I can't leave him alone, not when he's like this." Despite not being entirely sure how to console him (Avallac'h was not one to console anyone, if he even knew how to), Ciri was still determined to at least do something to snap him out of his current state._

 _Deeply inhaling, Ciri called out, "Hey! Nar-!" before her words were once again halted-she would remember tonight as the night she never finished a sentence- when she felt a strong wind whip her ashen bangs back as something passed by her at impossible speeds._

 _A blur, as black as night and as brilliant as the lustrous stars above, rushed past her at that very moment before coming to a stop after effortlessly leaping onto the branch Naruto rested on._

" _Arya…" Ciri mumbled as she peered up at Arya under the pale moonlight; she was like a divine fairy who had descended from the heavens to the mortal realm-pure and untainted. It mattered not that she wore unflattering scaled leather armor or that ragged gashes streaked about parts of it; nothing could detract from her presence and beauty. Standing before Naruto, Arya swept her gaze across the land before fixing her attention on Ciri, something in her eyes rooting her to the ground._

 _Sharp forest-green orbs flecked with molten gold met orange tinted emeralds as Arya intensely stared down from above for a moment before delicately nodding._

" _Go back Ciri, you need not worry about Naruto any longer." Without another word, Arya broke off their connection while turning back to the blond, the ice in her eyes swiftly melting away into tender concern as she gracefully sat down, her tightly leatherbound legs swung over the branch._

" _You do not have to face this alone Naruto, I'm here." Gently leaning forward until their foreheads touched, Arya reached out through their bond, easily brushing aside the flimsy barriers that separated the two before soothingly melding their minds together into one. The wild and haunting music echoing through her mind could permanently incapacitate any mortal; but such melodies served only to comfort and bring back the blond from the silent storms ravaging his consciousness._

" _Arya…" Clarity briefly flickered back into his misty azure eyes before Naruto abruptly let go of the faelnirv and tugged her backwards into his firm chest, his arms tightly wrapped around her stomach as if afraid she would disappear like a passing illusion, just like everyone else had back at home._

" _Forgive me for I have done, but don't leave me Arya, not like...her. Please..." Burying his head in her silky hair, Naruto hoarsely whispered into her sensitive pointed ears, sending shivers running down her spine and a faint rosy blush up her flawless alabaster cheeks._

 _As he said those words, a flood of memories ranging from a ridiculously pink haired woman with a larger than normal forehead and sparkling viridian eyes to a cold man just slightly shorter than Naruto himself with what oddly reminded her of a upside down duck for hair and a pair of mismatched eyes which she knew currently rested in her lover's eye sockets._

 _But the figure who popped up the most was of a petite dark purple-haired woman with eyes the color of the purest pearls. Image after image of her appeared, some in form-fitting shinobi clothing, some in foreign casual clothes, and one in a stunning wedding kimono that dazzled even her who had seen more than her fair share of lords and ladies. However what remained consistent no matter what she wore was the blinding love and adoration that shone from her Byakugan, no matter how old or exhausted she was._

 _What startled Arya the most in the end was how bright and clear each of the memories were, undiluted by the flow of time or by the haze the enchanted faelnirv should have brought its user._

 _And so, for a mere fraction of a second, the barest hint of jealousy stained Arya's heart. It made her wonder just how many people-elves, humans, dwarves, and even Urgals alike-would be able to recall a loved one who had passed away almost half a century ago with such clarity, and with such fondness._

 _It made her wonder, if she too passed away, who would remember her as so? Would her mother? Would Eragon?_

 _Would Naruto?_

 _Perhaps it was the moon above affecting her thoughts, but she briefly even wondered whether she was but a replacement for Hinata._

 _Such ugly emotions and doubts were quickly stomped out of existence as the logical part of her mind promptly reasserted itself over her budding emotional side. Months of sharing their memories, both the good and especially the bad, through their accidental bond had cleared the both of them of such fears; it was because of this that the matter of Naruto's previous wife never caused any awkwardness between them. Perhaps another would have found it boring to know everything about his/her partner, but neither felt anything like that. It was because of this that the shell she had erected around her war-tempered spirit could finally crack open and allow her to truly experience love._

 _Hinata was Hinata, Arya was Arya. They were as different as the moon was from the sun, their personalities almost polar opposites. They didn't even look similar, despite both of them being curvaceous, she stood over half a head taller than his former lover._

 _Aside from that, Arya also knew better than to envy the woman in her mind, especially when she knew what today was in the real world._

 _Today marked the anniversary and death of both his closest friends and confidants as well as his wife, Hinata Hyūga. She had seen him, felt the weight of his pain, grief, and despair, even as he bore body rending agony as his body attempted to rip itself apart._

 _She had felt how he wanted to die, to join the ones he loved most of all, to be free of the pain. And nobody, not even she would have blamed him despite her elven ways and values._

 _Yet, he endured, his resolve forever strong even when he knelt and paid homage before their graves, unwilling to fall to temptation and let Kaguya, the Mother of all Chakra, unleash her wrath upon the world._

" _Never." Staring deep into those bottomless pools, Arya didn't resist and instead snuggled deeper into his arms as she rested her lightly callused fingers on his larger hands, a rosy blush on her porcelain cheeks. Shutting their eyes, the world faded away as they merged their souls more intimately than any earthly pair of lovers could ever dream of doing._

 _Below, Ciri had long begun the short trek back to the spacious cabin Naruto had grown for her, complete with a fully furnished bath and bedroom. As the two dissolved into the distance and her dwelling came into view, the scene of Arya and Naruto embracing flipped through her head._

" _I know many a painter who would kill for the opportunity to see what I just saw. " A scene where an elven woman, as dazzling and cold as the moon above, tenderly embraced a devilishly handsome godlike human was one she knew to be irresistible to any painter._

 _Opening the door, a bitter frown tugged the corners of Ciri's lips when she remembered Naruto's vulnerable form. Too tired from both the earlier training and previous events, she didn't bother with the bath. She would take one tomorrow after she woke up._

 _Crashing against the sinfully soft mattress and cushy pillows, the last thought running through her head before sleep claimed her was despite practically living with the man for almost a month, it was only after this that she realized…_

 _...she really didn't know anything of Naruto._

 _Flashback End_

Ever since that night, Ciri paid closer attention to Naruto who remained oblivious to what happened. She was grateful for that; it would turn things awkward between them if he knew. This allowed her to see an unguarded Naruto. Using her Witcher training, Ciri finally saw the brief glimpses of sadness that occasionally crossed his gaze when he thought she wasn't looking.

However, she had never seen him outright brood; in fact, Naruto seemed to abhor such an action, instead preferring to covertly hide away any negative emotions behind his natural warmth and mischief.

' _Just what could have made him…!?_ '

" _Crack!_ "

A sickening crack followed by a short, stifled cry of pain echoed through the glade as a blunted kunai hurtled through the air and slammed into Ciri's unprotected shoulder, instantly fracturing the area where her arm met her shoulder blade. Falling to the ground, she clutched at the broken bones as unbidden tears sprang from her eyes, angry not at the clone who caused the injury, but rather at herself for stupidly letting down her guard.

"Perhaps it wasn't the best of ideas to lose her focus turning training…especially during a session supervised by his clones." Ciri quietly mumbled, gritting her pearly white teeth in an effort to ignore the now familiar pain.

She had broken more bones and coughed more blood in the past several weeks than she had her entire life.

...sometimes she wondered whether she was safer out there with the Wild Hunt on her tail than over here with Naruto supervising her training. It was completely different from Avallac'h's.

' _I can't believe of all the times I complained about Avallac'h's methods...even if lately they haven't really worked. Still, while painful and dangerous, it's hard to argue with the results…_ '

"Ciri! You alright?" As Ciri mused about the polar opposite teaching methods, the real Naruto who had been playing around with Arya quickly blurred away before kneeling before Ciri with glowing green hands on her shoulder.

As he injected ribbons of potent healing chakra into Ciri's shoulder, Naruto lightly scolded her, "Jeez Ciri, just how many times does this make? You would think that by now you would know better than to lose focus in the middle of training." The bite from his words were largely nullified by the worry in his eyes.

Despite the dangerous training, Ciri knew by now that while Naruto could be, _and was_ , a sadistic bastard while teaching her, Arya, Eragon, and Asura, he didn't actually enjoy seeing them get injured, especially not when they were seriously injured like her shoulder…

...at least she didn't think so.

"Thank you." Ciri nodded in thanks when the last sliver of bone moved back into place, though the area surrounding her joint was still tender. Although Naruto could patch up any cut, bruise, broken bone, or internal bleeding, her body still remembered the hurt for a while before fading.

"No worries." Naruto casually waved away her thanks before suddenly cocking his head to the side. For several seconds, neither said anything until he quietly sighed, his eyes shut and earlier smile gone.

Both curious and alarmed by his actions, Ciri hurriedly asked, "What is it Naruto? What happened?"

Before he could utter a word, it was Arya who answered her question as she strode over from the trees.

"It is time for the final stage of our war to begin." Ciri shivered upon seeing a chilly gleam enter the elf's hardened eyes.

"It is time for Galbatorix to die."

xXx

Hovering high up in the sky, Eragon and Saphira looked very much like a scintillating sapphire-if said sapphire was 100 feet in length-as they surveyed the capital of the Empire, Urû'baen.

...or at least whatever parts of it they could see not hidden beneath the shade of the enormous stone overhang covering most of the city.

Eyeing the at least three hundred feet walls and multitude of ballistae and catapults pointed their way, they both frowned at the seemingly impenetrable city. After several moments, Eragon broke the silence.

"What do you think Saphira?"

Saphira snorted in response. "Does it matter what kind of human resistance we meet? Our sole task in this battle is to fight and rip apart the Egg Breaker. Doing anything else will either leave us too drained or distracted to do so."

While cold, Eragon understood that his partner for life meant no harm. And in a way, he understood her position. How could he not? It was practically the only thing the two talked about after the Battle of Belatona whenever they weren't getting pummeled while training with Naruto.

Yet he still had his doubts of her simplistic view. "I know what you mean Saphira, but still, how could we not even lend a helping hand? Look at all those war machines." Eragon pointed at all of the ballistae and catapults that lined the top of the wall at regular intervals; no doubt more lay hidden in the shadow of the wall. "Even with the elves, the Varden will lose tens of thousands of men before one can even stand on top of that wall."

A cloud of smoke puffed out of her nostrils as his dragon sighed in frustration. "What do you want me to say, Little One? I don't like the idea of the ones who have fought by our side from the beginning throwing themselves into death's cold arms any more than you do. But what can we do about it? The moment we enter the fray, we will need to expend a large amount of energy just to protect ourselves, never mind the others! And then when we finally face Galbatorix, exhausted and maybe wounded, it'll be as if we were handing ourselves on a silver platter! Or did you forget what Naruto informed us back then?"

The young Rider frowned at the conundrum. He most certainly did not forget the worrying piece of intelligence Naruto had given them a week back afore vanishing in a ripple with Arya and his guest. For Galbatorix of all people to, if grudgingly, give away some of his more powerful Eldunari and have them target key members of the resistance...It was as if saying dragons could be vegetarians or some ridiculous nonsense like that.

Minutes passed by as Eragon glanced between the two armies until he threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know what to do Saphira! Both plans have their share of problems, whether it be for us or the Varden." His shoulders slumped powerlessly as he mumbled, "If only there was some way to bait Galbatorix out of his shell. Then all of our problems would be solved."

"All of them, except how to combat Galbatorix himself, Eragon-finiarel." A mellow voice, unaffected by the gusts of wind, resounded through the air.

"Master!" Eragon and Saphira cried out in surprise as they turned to see Oromis and Glaedr making their way towards them, who looked very much like a mountain of gold soaring through the air.

When the elder Dragon Rider pair approached their students, their eyes widened upon seeing just how big Saphira had gotten. After going through the traditional elven greeting, a rumbling mental voice brimming with majestic chords filled the younger pair's minds.

" _Although Eragon had informed us of how big you have gotten Saphira Bjartskular, I had believed his description an exaggeration. But now, I stand corrected. You both have done well to get this far, Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Brightscales._ "

Warmth infused their bodies at their mentor's praise. Oromis, on the other hand, said nothing more as he slowly swept his stormy grey eyes over Eragon, as if looking for something. Had it been before finding his true name, Eragon would have flinched under the intense scrutiny of his teacher's sharp gaze. But now, such things merely passed by him like the dead leaves in autumn.

So when he saw the resolute light instead of the usual uncertainty in Eragon's eyes, Oromis proudly smiled, satisfied with how his apprentice had grown.

"Well met, Eragon-finiarel. You have grown into a finer Rider and man I could have hoped, and have brought friends I thought were gone forever." Nodding his approval, he and Glaedr both closed their eyes as they stretched his mind towards the area behind Eragon, stirring up a mental storm so great Eragon, for all of his unlocked chakra, could not bear to listen to any longer.

It was not a matter of strength, but rather that it was quite uncomfortable to constantly listen to a deafening cacophony. There simply wasn't a need to continue listening to all of the greetings echoing about.

When they were done, Oromis turned his gaze towards the familiar tall spire-like buildings made of a flawless fusion of glass and stone, impossible to have been made by human hands, a melancholic expression on his face.

"Ilirea…"

Below him, Glaedr too shared in his wistfulness as eyed the once beautiful city, now stained by the darkness of greed and corruption.

Beside him, Eragon sighed when he saw the faint veil of mist in both of his master's' eyes, who no doubt were feeling pangs of nostalgia and melancholy of seeing their home as Galbatorix's den. Then he did something he never would have done had it not been for a certain blond.

Leaping over, Eragon quickly steadied himself before striding along the golden dragon's broad neck to stand next to Oromis. Once along his master, he firmly clapped his hand on the elf's slender shoulder. The unexpected contact jerked Oromis out of his brief reverie, causing him to look with slightly widened eyes to his right.

"Don't worry Oromis-elda, we will take back Ilirea and free the other Eldunari. With the two of us, Saphira, Glaedr, Umaroth and the other Eldunari, as well as Arya and Naruto, it is only a matter of time before Alagaesia is freed from Galbatorix's reign."

For a second, Oromis simply stared at his pupil before the corners of his thin lips curved up in a small smile.

"You are right, Eragon-finiarel. With all of us finally united, we shall prevail against Galbatorix and his madness. But Eragon," Oromis narrowed his eyes, "did you consider how to defeat him? Remember, Naruto-finiarel did say he will leave the battle against Galbatorix to you. Only if you are about to die will he interfere."

"About that...there is something I could not risk telling you over scrying." At Eragon's foreboding words, Oromis frowned while turning his full attention to him; whatever it was his student couldn't tell him over scrying despite all of their wards of silence and isolation was bound to be on the level of revealing his true name. His small frown only deepened upon hearing his next words.

"Even you, Oromis-elda and Glaedr-elda, must swear to never reveal what I'm about to tell you unless both Saphira and I agree to it."

A heated growl boomed through his mind. ' _Even if it is you, you dare to have the two of us, your masters, swear a binding oath without even giving us a hint of what we're…?!_ '

"Enough Glaedr!" Surprised silence instantly pervaded the area upon Oromis's raised voice. Sighing, he looked deeply into Eragon's brown eyes as he spoke to Glaedr.

' _Look through my eyes Glaedr, and tell me that Eragon-finiarel has any less than honorable purpose. Look into his eyes and remember who his father is._ '

And so Glaedr did, and when he saw how clear and free of impurities Eragon's eyes were, there was no need to say anything else.

Huffing, the ancient dragon conceded his point. ' _So be it. I swear that nothing said here will be known unless both you and Saphira agree to doing so._ '

On his neck, Oromis also made a similar oath. "I too swear that nothing said here will be known unless both you and Saphira agree to doing so."

Upon hearing his mentors' oaths, Eragon quickly severed his link from the Eldunari behind him before forming the strongest isolation barrier he knew. Before either Oromis or Glaedr could question him, he directly whispered into their minds, grabbing a hold of the elf to prevent him from falling as a fierce shudder ripped through their frames.

"Impossible/ _Impossible_ …"

Several Hours Later

Gathered under a single war tent, around a table with a map of Urû'baen, and surrounded by the strongest of silencing wards, the leaders of the multi-species alliance gathered for the final battle plan. Outside, Saphira, Glaedr, Asura, and the newest addition Ciri got to know each other better, especially the latter three. The eldest dragon especially was surprised by the powers and mutations the black dragon and otherworlder had, having never seen anything like it even during the height of the Dragon Rider Order. On the side, Saphira snorted in exasperation mainly at the amount of interest her teacher had for her fellow dragon.

However, the inside of the tent was not as cheery. Despite having already planned the attack during the march over, there still remained several missing key aspects.

"Eragon, Oromis, most of the plans for the upcoming battle have already been completed. The only thing left to finalize is...how are we going to kill Galbatorix? For if we cannot kill him, it won't matter how many men and women we throw at Urû'baen. We'll all die, and this time, there won't be any escape." Ajihad bluntly told the two Riders while throwing a glance towards Naruto in hopes the blond would change his mind. But all he got was short shake of his head. Helplessly sighing, he turned back to the Riders and Queen Islanzadí.

To his surprise, it was Eragon and not the elder Rider who answered. "As you all know, even with the Eldunari, my teacher Oromis-elda, and Glaedr-elda, it will be difficult to come up on top." The air grew heavy at his words. Just an half an hour earlier, the mood had been so light after revealing the Eldunari's existence to King Orrin, King Hrothgar, Nar Garzhvog and the werecat king. But now…

"Oh, then what exactly do you plan on doing, _Shadeslayer_? Or are you just going to fly into his no doubt heavily fortified keep and just do what, improvise?" King Orrin sarcastically spat out before downing a cup of dark red wine, his mood worsening by the moment, no doubt due to the giant Kull standing just a few feet away from him.

' _It's funny, I'm starting to appreciate a Kull's presence more than a member of my own race._ ' Eragon quietly mused. Throughout the journey to the Empire's heart, the king of Surda had changed, and much to everyone's frustration, not for the better. However, it mattered not; for all his ill-temper, his commitment to the fight against the mad king was never in doubt. Besides, he had a valid point, one even Islanzadí was most curious about.

Crossing his arms, Eragon calmly answered. "We do have a strategy, however, it will take Naruto to protect you all from these Eldunari wielders. Without him, even if we do triumph over Galbatorix, it will be a pyrrhic victory at most...and a massacre at worst."

With that, everyone's heads swiveled towards the blond who continued to lean against a wooden post. For a few seconds, nobody said anything, until finally, Naruto broke the silence.

"As I said before, I will not directly participate in the slaying of Galbatorix or the destruction of the city, for this is a fight you of Alagaesia must bleed for in order to make it meaningful." Frowns appeared all across the table except for a select few, those select few being Eragon, Oromis, Arya, Ajihad, and Islanzadí. They knew the blond better than that, while the latter was never wanted his protection in the first place.

However, others were not so understanding.

Slamming his hands against the table, King Orrin erupted in a geyser of fury at Naruto's response. "Then what do you want? Do you want us to pay you, like the _mercenary_ you were, or rather are? Because if so..."

"That is enough out of you, King Orrin!" Ajihad interjected his fellow leader's rant while levelling a steady stare at him. "Naruto here never had to involve himself in our war, and yet he did. And I'll have you know, he has saved not only my life, but countless others, both on our side and those who could be saved. It is because of him, our army has grown so large, able to contend on equal footing with the mad king's."

Off to the side, Naruto frowned at Orrin's response, not at how much of an asshole he had become, but rather at his reason for becoming so. It was natural for men to toughen up and become more acerbic during a war, but it was odd how badly and irrational Orrin had reacted, especially given his originally odd and childlike nature. Perhaps there was something else influencing him. Something more material.

' _Arya, try using your Tenseigan to see into Orrin's body, especially his brain. I heard he enjoyed experiments, sometimes with toxic elements, but I had hoped those were merely rumors. Now I'm not so sure._ '

Arching an eyebrow at Naruto, Arya closed her eyes and sent a small burst of chakra coursing through her eyes, the floral Tenseigan whirring to life. Due to the nature of the eyes of reincarnation, there was no need for them to be open and thus, could be hidden when activated. However, upon seeing the state of Orrin's brain and body, even she could barely keep them from flying open in shock and disgust.

While no stranger to poisons, to think Orrin's seemingly harmless pastimes were actually so deadly...

Beside her, Naruto had already glimpsed through Arya's eyes. With his knowledge of the human body taught by Tsunade herself before breaching the barrier, he was quite sure a human's kidneys, liver and brain were not supposed to be so shriveled.

" _No wonder King Orrin is so irritable all the time. The amount of pain he must be going through with his withering organs must be excruciating, never mind the burden of war!_ " Armed with this knowledge, the blond decided to forgive or ignore any malicious comments sent his way...for now. Or at least until he healed him, because whether he liked the man or not, King Orrin was in the end a rather capable king of a nation full of innocent people.

Coughing into his hand, Naruto continued from where he left off. "Although I say that, protecting you all doesn't count as something direct. So yes Eragon, I will make sure everyone at this table makes it out of this fight in one piece, no matter our relationship." He glanced over at the king of Surda and Grimrr Halfpaw of the werecats. "In addition, I will also let Asura join in on the fight; no doubt he is eager for the battle."

The heavy weight that once blanketed the council lifted as King Orrin merely grumbled a bit before leaning back.

"Even better. If that's so, then we can commence the attack tomorrow at dawn. With Glaedr, Saphira, and Asura transporting us, Blödhgarm, and his spell casters, we should be able to cut a path directly to the citadel. With the Dauthdaert, it should be no problem to get rid of any magical wards in our path. From there, all of us together with the Eldunari will take down Galbatorix once and for all, the Dauthdaert as our trump card." Eragon mentioned the ancient weapon to draw attention away from his true trump card, a card he wishes will not be needed.

"And how will you all get there without being detected? Three dragons and a host of Riders and elves are hardly inconspicuous, especially under the light of day. And even with all your wards, you would find yourselves exhausted like an arrow at the end of its flight from blocking all the catapults, ballistae, and arrows sent your way." This time, it was Queen Islanzadí who spoke out.

"That is where Asura will come in. With his impenetrable hide and countless wards, even if he can't kill everyone, nobody can hurt him as he distracts the city, especially when bolstered with Naruto's infinite reserves. Then depending on the situation, we can have him come to our aid, especially if Shruikan is as large as you said he was." Eragon quickly replied; they all shuddered while trying to picture a dragon eight times Glaedr's size. Even just him falling would be akin to a small mountain dropping on them.

After discussing the details of timing and placement and signaling for another hour, one last question came up before they dispersed.

"Our plans are finished and we'll move to attack tomorrow, at dawn. But there is one thing I'm curious about." The leader of the Varden turned his black domed head towards Naruto. "How will you protect us? Will your clones do so?"

For the second time, the heads of everyone in the tent rotated towards him.

"Nope, and you will never see them unless they're absolutely needed. But rest assured, no one will be able to kill you with them around." Naruto reassured them all while ignoring the doubtful and almost disdainful looks from a certain pair.

He would sort at least one of them out later.

xXx

Soon after walking out of the stifling tent, Naruto and Arya leaped onto Asura's back alongside Ciri.

"Wait Naruto-finiarel!" Just as the black dragon was about to lift off, a captivating voice rich in vibrato rang out behind them. Patting Asura's neck, Naruto had him round about to face the one who called out to them. Behind him, Ciri curiously poked her head over their shoulders to get a look at the owner of the magnetic voice. And what she saw surprised her.

Garbed in a golden corselet of scale armor, with a jeweled helm upon her head and her red, white-trimmed cape clasped about her shoulders was the queen of the elves. By her side, a long, slim sword hung from her narrow waist. But though the extravagant armor startled her, that wasn't what got her attention. Rather, something else about the woman bothered her.

' _Wait a second...could it be?_ ' As she watched Naruto and Arya both dismount from Asura, Ciri quickly realized the number of similarities between Arya and her. They could have passed as twins, if not for the few differences between them: mainly their different hair colors and Arya's gentler looking almond-shaped eyes.

Stopping several feet from Islanzadí, Naruto warm greeted her. "Your majesty, it's good to see both you and Oromis safe and sound after Gil'ead. I was worried after seeing Oromis's condition."

"Indeed, Naruto-finiarel. Had you arrived several seconds later, Oromis and Glaedr would have most likely passed away. I must thank you and the Menoa Tree again once we return to Ellesméra." She tilted her proud head down in thanks before peering towards Arya to examine the many physical changes her daughter had gone through. "However, that is not what I stopped you for. I must ask you daughter, where will you be in the coming battle? Will you be with us assaulting the walls of Urû'baen or staying by Naruto's side?"

Glancing between Naruto and her mother, Arya shook her head. "No, Mother, I will not be joining the assault on the walls or staying by Naruto's side. Instead, I will be joining Eragon and Oromis to bring the fight to Galbatorix."

Back on top of Asura, Ciri's eyes widened when she realized the woman who had rigorously trained her for the past month was a princess in her own right, just like her. Her surprise lasted only a short while as she tuned back into the conversation.

Horror filled Islanzadí's emerald eyes. "What good would that accomplish Arya? Blödhgarm and the other spellcasters I assigned, never mind Oromis and Glaedr, are all more accomplished in the arts of magic and more experienced in battle as well. Instead, it would be more helpful if you were to stay by my side and seek out the Eldunari users hidden within the army's ranks."

Naruto took a step back from the mother-daughter pair; this was not a conversation he had any right to interfere in.

Crossing the small gap with long, graceful steps, Arya stood mere inches from her mother, a soft smile on her lips. "Mother, had you asked me before the Battle of Feinster, perhaps I would have agreed to your words. Yes, Blödhgarm, his spellcasters, and Oromis all know the ancient language better than I do. And yes, they may all have more experience than I do. But there is something I have that they don't." She closed her eyes before reopening them, the blazing Tenseigan sparking to life much to Islanzadí's shock. "I have pure power, and the only one capable of rivalling Galbatorix's massive store of Eldunari, other than Naruto, is me. Just by myself, I can at tie up at least half if not all the Eldunari Galbatorix has and give the others their chance of killing him."

Turning away, Arya absently brushed at her left shoulder. "It is my responsibility, as one who bears the yawë, to do all I can for Alagaesia and its people... _one last time_." She mumbled the last three words in her mind, knowing the next time they come back may not be for a while.

"Yet the whole of your life has been so short." Islanzadí forlornly remarked as she reached out to cup Arya's smooth cheeks. "You have devoted yourself to fighting Galbatorix all these years since your father's death, but only now are you beginning to know of the joys life can provide. And in those years, we have spent such a small amount of time together: a handful of days scattered throughout a century. It is only since you brought Saphira and Eragon to Ellesméra that we have begun to speak once more, as a mother and daughter ought. I would not lose you again so soon, Arya."

Perhaps in another time, another life, Arya would have coldly replied to her mother, but her time with a certain blond helped ease away the bite Islanzadí's banning of her person once had.

"And you won't, Mother. You will not lose me." She placed her hands on her mother's cheeks, as Islanzadí did just seconds before. "Not in this life, or the next. Once this war is over, there will be time for us to be together as we always should have, as mother and daughter. Nothing more, and nothing less." When Arya saw that a hint of hesitation still remained in her mother's eyes, she repeated what she said, but this time in the ancient language.

" _You will not lose me. Not in this life, or the next. And we shall be together, as mother and daughter should._ "

Behind her, Naruto came forth and laid a comforting hand on his love's shoulder in silent support of her steely determination. To say such binding words in the ancient language, even if they no longer bound her as tightly as before, still said much of her utter confidence in returning alive, as well as her forgiveness for all the years she was banished from Islanzadí's presence.

For a moment, Islanzadí stood stock still, before a proud smile as radiant as the morning sun bloomed on her lips. Leaning forward, she kissed Arya once on each cheek. "Then go, and go with my blessings. And take no more risks than you must."

"Nor you." And the two of them embraced.

As they separated, Islanzadí looked at Naruto and softly pleaded, "Watch over her, I implore you. But know this," a hard glare fixed him in place, "should she come to harm like she did in Feinster, should your insistence on not directly fighting the war result in her injury or death, there will be no place in this world where you will be able to hide from mine and the elves' fury!"

Despite Islanzadí's almost outright threat and near hypocripsy, neither Naruto nor Arya said anything to dispute her. This was a mother's right and they both understood that. Wrapping a hand around Arya's waist, he kissed the tip of her pointy ears, much to her utter embarrassment.

Really, just what was he doing in front of the queen of elves, her own mother? Quickly, she jabbed at

Naruto's at the space between his ribs, causing the blond to grunt in mock pain as a creeping blush painted a stark image against her fair neck.

Opposite of the pair, a bluish-green vein began to pulse on Islanzadí's temple. Despite what she said to Asura back then, it was clear to all that such an open display of affection was toeing the line of her neutrality towards their relationship.

Fortunately, Naruto responded before Islanzadí's emerging motherly overprotectiveness could lash out.

"She is important to me too, Islanzadí. And while I should tell you to have more faith in your daughter..." a pair of icy orbs met blazing emeralds. "There's no way in hell I'll let anyone or anything injure her like in Feinster. I promise you that."

A few seconds passed as Islanzadí stared into his cold, steadfast eyes, so different from how they usually were. This was a man who would rip apart the world regardless of his life and damn the consequences if it meant protecting the ones he cherished.

Finally, Islanzadí looked away. "So be it, Naruto Uzumaki. May we meet on the battlefield tomorrow and the stars watch over you, for you carry the blessing of I, Islanzadí Dröttning." Then with a flick of her cloak, she strode off towards the elven camp without a hint of resistance from the busy encampment.

With a single bound, Naruto and Arya took their places on Asura's neck with Ciri behind the elf. This time, with no one else trying to stop them, the dragon coiled his powerful muscles before surging up into the sky.

Once they levelled off, Arya took the opportunity to lay her cheek against Naruto's shoulder. Though she wanted nothing more than to kiss her lover after his promise back down on the ground, doing so in front of Ciri was a bit much.

It was also at this time that Ciri began to speak.

"Naruto, let me fight in the attack tomorrow."

"What?" Naruto snapped his head back in astonishment only to see a resolute look on her face. "Ciri, are you serious? This is not like a simple fight between a few dozen men. This will be a clash between massive armies with arrows and spells flying about. Even with your incredible powers, it will be incredibly dangerous as just one of these spells could spell the death of you."

"Then just place the wards you have around Asura on me. After all the kindness you two have shown me, let me do something for you and your home. Besides," an amused gleam entered Ciri's eyes, "you know I'll go anyways, right?"

Rapidly blinking several times, Naruto in the end rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Fine! I did tell you I wouldn't coddle you after all. Just remember, try to limit those spins you love so much, and watch your left side-you tend to drop your guard there after a mere few hours into training."

A series of eye twitches burst out as a thunderous shout erupted out of Ciri's mouth. "A _mere_ few hours?! Anyone normal would have dropped dead after several minutes of trying to dodge bone-breaking kunai and 120 pound weights on each limb!"

A tinkling laugh rang out from between them, causing a vein to throb near Ciri's temple.

"Don't you dare laugh at me Arya. I still remember half the times I got knocked out was because of you bashing me unconscious with that blade of yours! Hey, not you too Asura!"

Under the chuckling duo and fuming Ciri, a shiver tore through Asura's body as he snorted out a plume of smoke in amusement at their antics. Finally, she too began to smile before beginning to snicker, their laughter echoing over the bustling Varden camp as they prepared for the bloody assault tomorrow.

Tomorrow would be the end of an era.

xXx

Far away, in the living city of Ellesméra, a red dragon lay curled in front of a house sung from a tree as he enjoyed the warming rays of the sun. Inside, an elf unlike any other in Alagaesia slumbered on, oblivious to the defining battle that was about to be fought tomorrow.

xXx

Deep within his lavish halls and surrounded by hundreds of traps, Galbatorix sat on his throne, an unsheathed aquamarine blade in in hand. Coal eyes blazing with carefully restrained rage and madness stared at the giant golden doors as he waited for his opponents.

Speaking out to no one in particular, the joints in his hands popped and cracked under his crushing grip. "Tomorrow may be the day I die Naruto. But even after my death, I shall show you true despair. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

His insane laughter promised an ocean of blood would flow, and no one, not even the mighty Naruto, could stop it.

Notes:

Thank you all for reading and please do leave a review (it really helps in the motivation when writer's block is not tearing me a new one). For anyone interested, I revised chapters 1, 2, 13, and 14, the chapters I was most displeased of. Most likely I will try to revise the first half of the story to be more in line with what I imagined, from tweaking characters and events to beefing up descriptions and try, TRY, to lessen exposition.

If there are too many unnecessary words, please do note that in reviews or PMs (I really, REALLY appreciate these). Also, sorry that there's not much action in this chapter. The reason why it was difficult to write this chapter is one, damn writers block, and two I'm definitely not used with dramatic scenes like these.

Next chapter: the battle for Alagaesia and maybe the end of this arc.

Again, I'm sorry for taking so long, but thank you for reading!


	69. Battle of Urû'baen

To Taryth: There will be more on Arya's powers, including those not from the verse. Count on that.

To FallenHeratic: Sequels will expand from this story, though in different lands/verses. As for your other questions that are driving you mad, fear not, most of them shall be answered soon.

To MonkeyDGabry: Thank you for reading and your criticisms. The technique Naruto used to bring back the others as his paths is the one Nagato used for his own, so they are NOT alive. While Naruto is a seal master, containing something as immense as Kaguya requires not just skill, but pure power, power Hagoromo transferred to him. Sakura was already old, perhaps after seeing Sasuke go out, her will to live died out as well.

To alphaprince0: I wish I could, but anybody is free to do so if they want. Just please credit the work :P

To exillion: You are 100% correct. I will fix that when I can.

To Zaeiox: Once the war is over, there shall be an AryaxNaruto moment. I share the same opinion of them too.

To KhaerAaker: Thank you for that, I went and fixed that part. I wouldn't say her crush on Naruto is the same as Naruto's on Sakura. She is not some inexperienced child; she has seen many a world and even more people.

To those who are asking about his future relationship with Ciri...read to find out! :P

Chapter 68-Battle of Urû'baen

Mere hours after the war council dispersed, a pale dawn broke out across the plains, coloring both the Empire's final stronghold and the Varden alike in gold with the sun's weak rays. Row upon row, column by column, a sea of gleaming metal and stiff leather armor and weapons along with their diverse wielders met the new day with solemn silence: their march down the sloping fields to the walls of Urû'baen muffled by rags stuffed and wrapped between their weapons and feet.

Soaring above the wispy clouds and out of sight of both enemy and friend, over a dozen men and women sat upon three dragons without a sound, their sharp ears peeled for the signal that would indicate the beginning of the attack. Standing on top of Asura, Naruto glanced to the side at his youngest student on his sapphire dragon as several elves sat behind him, including the blue-furred Blödhgarm.

Though Eragon seemed calm and collected, he could sense the boy's nervousness and anxiety rolling of him in waves as he grimly glared down at the city.

" _Let's see if I can knock some of that out of him._ " Patting Asura's neck, he had him move opposite of Saphira, much to everyone's confusion.

"Hey Eragon!" Naruto abruptly yelled out over the wind, startling the young teenage Rider and the others.

"What is it Naruto?" Eragon called out, tilting his head away from the ground as the Varden continued their advance on the towering walls as he wondered what Naruto wanted to say to him at this point, his head full of the inevitable mass casualties on both sides that was bound to happen in the next few hours.

Only to see a finger pointed his way.

Confused by the gesture, Eragon furrowed his brow as he first stared at the finger then upwards at the pair of confident blue eyes staring right back at him.

"It's heavy, isn't it Eragon? To carry the hopes and lives of millions of men, women, and children all across Alagaesia as thousands, if not tens of thousands, shed their blood for you to do so: turns the legs to jelly." Opposite of Naruto, Eragon glanced away, his knuckles white as he tightly grasped Brisingr's hilt.

" _He's_ _right, despite having planned for this moment for months, despite having accumulated skill after skill, word after word, when it's time to act, all I can feel...is fear! Not for my life, but fear that I might fail everyone in Alagaesia!_ " Below him, the azure dragon sensed his uneasy thoughts before sending a rush of warmth through their bond.

"Well, ya know, if it were anyone else, I would worry whether Saphira had chosen wrongly, that of all people, it was a farm boy from some distant village that almost no one had heard about." Saphira snorted in displeasure at the blond's words about her Rider, which Naruto promptly ignored.

"But looking at the man you have grown into, I can say she couldn't have picked a finer Rider."

 _Thump!_

Eragon's heart began to pound, the ice that chilled his blood beginning to thaw. Whipping his gaze up, he saw Naruto proudly looking at him.

"Despite your age, you have picked up on techniques completely foreign to this land while learning everything you could from Oromis, Glaedr, and the Eldunari at a rate faster than many shinobi back in the Elemental Nations."

 _Thump! Thump!_

A toothy grin bloomed on the shinobi's face as he waved his hand about, a blinding beam of sunshine shooting over the land as the clouds parted.

"But if you don't believe in yourself, look around you! Saphira, Oromis, Glaedr, Blödhgarm, Arya, Asura, Ajihad, Islanzadí, Hrothgar, me, and even those two assholes Grimrr and Orrin are all here with you. You do not stand alone in this fight! So get in there and take down that tyrant like you were meant to, come on!" Naruto shouted, his words ringing clear in the atmosphere.

Seeing his friend and teacher curl his finger into a fist made Eragon unconsciously pull his own hand away from Brisingr before crashing against it. Instantly, a link was made and the sheer confidence Naruto felt in him coursed through him, sending a surge of hot blood furiously rushing through his veins as a fierce smile broke out on his lips, the cloud of fear that once gripped his heart scorched away under the blaze of his ignited courage.

However, what he and the others, except Arya, didn't realize was that a sliver of bubbling crimson chakra had stealthily flashed between the two men afore just as equally quickly disappearing into Eragon's body. Behind Oromis, Arya elegantly arched an eyebrow at the one-sided exchange, only to meet a pair of fearless, yet worried cerulean orbs staring at her.

" _Arya, no matter what, do not let down your guard in there. It worries me that Galbatorix made no mention of you despite knowing how important you are to me. It's not in his nature to ignore such an opportunity when he has already targeted your mother and the other leaders of the Varden. Just-_ "

A deafening trio of horn blasts blaring out from below indicated the start of the Varden's assault while drowning out whatever Naruto was about to say.

" _Just, don't underestimate him, no matter how powerful you have gotten-remember, you still haven't completely mastered the Tenseigan after all._ " Naruto finished as Asura shifted beneath him, no doubt already reacting to the faint scent of blood wafting from the battlefield.

It was their turn coming up after all.

The blond's heart-warming concern tugged at the corners of her lips. " _Don't worry too much Naruto, with the wards you have taught me, it is unlikely anyone except the king can even lay a hand on me. And you know me,_ " a chilly light entered her almond-shaped eyes, " _I never underestimate anyone, not even the weakest human._ "

Naruto wryly chuckled at that. " _No you don't, no you don't. Good luck Arya._ " He fondly remembered how when they first met, other than the first second, Arya had indeed gone all out on him, not caring for whether he was human or elf.

Now that he thought about it, that duel might have been the moment that first triggered his interest in her, no matter how small.

Behind him, Ciri shot the two a confused glance before nonchalantly shrugging. It had come to her attention long ago that Naruto and Arya had more than a physical relationship and bond with each other, what with the numerous times she caught them making certain looks which by themselves wouldn't have been unusual...if not for the lack of words; had she been anyone else not from Alagaesia, she would have found it rather odd that they were able to seemingly hold entire conversations with just their eyes alone. But with her quick mind and willingness to accept the unacceptable, it didn't take long for her to guess that they were communicating through their minds.

It was then another two blasts of the horn rang out, one short and another long, causing them all to tense.

It was time for the operation to begin.

With a bellowing roar, Asura snapped his head back with a bloodthirsty smile to look at his two passengers. "Shall we dance, Naruto?"

Deep inside Naruto's mindscape, a large tic mark developed on a giant fox's forehead. " _Why do I suddenly feel like punting that little lizard around? Meh, I'll do that later anyways, hehehe._ " Back in the real world, Asura instinctively shivered when he heard a faint creepy giggling in the back of his mind.

Unsealing his favorite sword, or hunk of iron as Arya called it, Kubikiribōchō-which would also no doubt prove useful in fighting from dragonback-Naruto chuckled at Asura copying his and Madara's catch phrase.

"Yeah, let's dance!"

With a mighty flap of his gleaming black wings, Asura abruptly climbed several more feet before bolting down like a bolt of black lightning...and much to the displeasure of a certain someone.

"Asuraaaaa! You stupid-" Ciri yelled when she was almost yanked out of the saddle, her eyes shut as she leaned forward just in time to tightly wrap her arms around Naruto while gale-force winds blew her ashen grey hair back.

Chuckling, he didn't mind the arms wrapped about his waist; he had long begun to see the fiery dimensional traveler as somewhat as a surrogate sister.

" _She certainly has the spirit of an Uzumaki._ " Naruto grinned as he eyed a crimson-robed commander gesturing at them.

"Ready your bows!"

10,000 feet.

Instantly, hundreds of bows along with several ballistas and trebuchets turned their attention away from the Varden to the descending dragon in the sky.

"Nock!"

8,000 feet.

"Draw!"

5,000 feet.

"Mark!"

Now only 2,000 feet in the air, Naruto could easily hear the tightening of strings and ropes over the din of battle, the wooden frames groaning as they strained to hold the deadly missiles in place. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed Kubikiribōchō at that particular spot.

"Asura, start from there!"

Not many have heard a dragon laugh, especially those as short-lived as humans. Yet as the trio approached the three hundred feet tall walls of Urû'baen, those scant few who managed to live past this day would uncontrollably tremble when they remembered a rumbling sound like the eruption of an ages old volcano that shook the very air itself and chilled them to the bone as a nightmarish dragon disdainfully laughed at their pitiful attempts to harm him and his riders.

The jagged scar that ran down Asura's chest then balefully glowed as he deeply inhaled to stoke the bellowing flames within him, all the while ignoring the annoying flying stones and ringing clinks as several tens of arrows from other areas of the wall harmlessly glanced off his armored plates. In fact, none would have touched him if he still had the wards Naruto first wove about him.

But back in the Kamui dimension, he had insisted for him to rid him of all physical barriers; it felt...wrong for him to feel absolutely nothing while in the heat of combat. Of course, as an arrow disintegrated to dust over his scar, that didn't include the ones around his scar and eyes as well as the wards that shielded him from more magical attacks.

Safety first after all.

"Loose!"

 _Woosh!_ The moment the three got within range, a black cloud of arrows, several stones over 300 pounds and two ballista bolts, each nearly six feet long and capable of punching through several horses, lanced through the sky. Ignoring the other projectiles, if something like the bolts were allowed to fly unchecked, they could punch through the thinly armored eyelid above a dragon's eyes. Even for Asura, despite his incredibly resilient armor and endurance, getting stabbed through the eye by something that long at such speed would undoubtedly prove crippling if not fatal.

Unfortunately for the men operating and surrounding the ballistas, this was also the moment Asura unleashed a raging flood of hell fire. Nothing came close to the trio, whether it be arrow, or bolt, or stone; all was incinerated until not even ashes remained as the flames continued through the air to roll over the ramparts like a tidal wave. And like multi-colored bubbles, wards and barriers protecting the soldiers popped and cracked as the energy needed to withstand such powerful flames drained in mere seconds. It mattered not how many wards against flames or heat there were; all was consumed under the black flames of Amaterasu.

Yet despite the rampant death and destruction, it was a strangely silent affair. There were no screams of pain or gasping of last breaths. No creaking of smoldering wood or snapping of burning rope. There was not even a grunt of discomfort from the terrible heat that battered the soldiers before flames as hot as the sun immolated them from existence.

" _Such powerful flames!_ " For the first time, Ciri witnessed in awe just how powerful Asura was. It was hard to believe that the dragon who was casually batted around by people less than a tenth his size and the dragon underneath her unleashing flames that would put to shame anything Triss or even the despicable Vilgefortz could conjure was the same dragon.

" _Then again, I shouldn't be all that surprised, especially with Naruto as his Rider._ " A wry grin spread her lips. " _Nothing is normal with him...not even me._ "

However, she didn't have much time to ponder over the new discovery before Naruto shouted out at her.

"Uh Ciri? You might want to brace yourself!"

Broken out of her reverie, Ciri's eyes almost popped out of her skull in horror upon seeing the quickly growing city wall.

A wall no doubt enchanted with tens of wards designed against blunt impact...that they were about to crash into at sonic speed.

"Wait wait wait, shouldn't we be slowing down?"

A feral grin twisted Asura's draconian features.

"Nope!"

" _Oh hell no!_ "

xXx

Still hovering nearly 20,000 feet in the air, the company watched in suspended disbelief as the eldest of Raugmar the Dread's brood dive bombed towards the impenetrable walls of Urû'baen with no signs of slowing down or altering his path.

When they saw several war machines adjust their aim, one of the elves on Glaedr's back couldn't hold back her indignity as she clenched the pommel of her sword. "Just what is Naruto-finiarel thinking? How could he let Asura Brightscales do something as reckless like this?" Along with her, several of her fellow elves frowned in agreement, though they stayed silent. Despite not being nearly as close to Naruto or Asura as to Eragon and Saphira, they couldn't help but worry about the two's seemingly suicidal charge.

"You underestimate both Asura and Naruto, Yaela, especially Asura. Never have I seen a dragon with more potential than him; trust me, he is as much a monster as his Rider." Against expectations, it was Blödhgarm who spoke out in Naruto's defense. Out of all the elves, including Arya and Oromis, his bestial instincts were the strongest due to his more animal-like physiology; something in those ringed eyes had made his instincts scream at him to step softly about him and those he was close to, or else face his terrible wrath.

Off to the side, Arya, Eragon, and Oromis nodded their agreement, they had seen, whether it be directly or indirectly, what the dragon was capable of.

 _Twang!_ While Invidia and the others contemplated over their leader's words, the release of hundreds of arrows sounded stole their attention just in time for them to see Asura turn all before him to nothing. This did not surprise them; it would have been more startling if anything did survive through the flames, even if the utter decimation of the Empire's soldiers raised a few eyebrows. There should have been at least a few who were warded against flames.

Though they wanted to keep watching, they didn't have the leisure to continue merely watching; it was time for them to move out.

"Let's go!" Shouting out against the whistling wind, Eragon urged Saphira towards the central citadel of Urû'baen, which was currently devoid of defenses. With a short roar, she mirrored what Asura did just a minute ago as she shot down to the ground, the giant mountain of burnished gold that was Glaedr close on her heels. They had probably made it down several hundred feet when a deafening crack shattered the air.

 _Boom!_

Chunks of fortified stone exploded out with the force of a rampaging hurricane, instantly reducing the nearby defenders into bloody smears as Asura used his heavy metal hunk of a jaw to smash through the battlements, the special wards wreathed around its tip making it a crude, but effective battering ram.

While the others felt their jaws drop in shock, Arya simply rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Showoff."

The young dragon had obviously inherited Naruto's and Kurama's showy moves despite her efforts of trying to impress the beauty of the more subtle arts of attacking and killing.

Then again, dragons were not known to be the most subtle of beings...

". _..Still, I can't argue with the results._ " A smile curved up her full lips. With the gaping hole in the wall that continued to crumble, they had indeed proved a most effective distraction as a deafening cheer rose from the Varden after they recovered from their shock, the defenders still desperately scrambling about. Immediately, the rebel army began to attack in earnest; towering siege engines rumbled their way to the breach while several elves used spells to temporarily soar into the gap.

" _The hatchling is most impressive, especially his physique and flames. I would expect nothing less from the firstborn of the greatest of our kind._ " Glaedr remarked as they soared past one of the six remaining elven towers, ignoring the alarmed shouts as some of the soldiers noticed the presence of an additional two dragons.

" _Yes, the hatchling of Raugmar the Dread is indeed most remarkable; no doubt, his eggmates will be just as exceptional._ " Oromis glanced back, admiring how, other than a quick shake of his head, _unaffected_ Asura seemed to be despite having plowed through nearly 40-50 feet of solid stone, mortar, and old magic. " _However, I suspect it's more than just his noble inheritance._ " Eyeing Asura's mutant features, Glaedr grunted in agreement before abruptly back-flapping in front of the citadel's massive gate as Saphira did the same.

It was an ugly thing, made of two giant black doors that met at a point far above either Glaedr's or Saphira's head. All over its solid iron surface, hundreds if not thousands of spiked rivets, each the size of Eragon's head, menacingly studded out, a warning to all who dared to have ill intentions against its owner. After staring up at the entrance for a second, Eragon and the elves all hopped off while Arya bounded towards the sally port set within the left-hand door.

As she neared the nearly invisible entrance, a horizontal piece of metal-perhaps three fingers wide-sank inward half an inch before sliding to the side with a rusty scrape, a pair of owlish eyes peering out from the the dark depths.

"Who are you, then?" demanded a haughty voice. "State your business or be gone!"

" _Kvert!_ "

 _SHING!_ Following her cry, a beam of silver light flashed as Arya, without warning, slashed out at the no doubt enchanted door with Islingr before smoothly resheathing it within a fraction of a second. Had it been any other blade, including both Eragon's Brisingr and Niernen the Dauthdaert, such an action would have been useless, even foolish as doing so would consume a vast amount of energy if not potentially trigger wards and spells that could immediately turn the attacker to ash.

But no such thing happened.

As the others gathered behind her, the two halves of the door suddenly tumbled to the floor with a ringing bang. And as for the gatekeeper behind it, all he could do before following the fate of his destroyed post was look down in horror, eyes wide with terror and utter disbelief as his intestines and other internal organs splattered into a growing pool of crimson blood and gore.

Though brutal, none of the others spared a second glance at the dead man, instead choosing to carefully watch as Arya unhesitatingly marched towards the bisected corpse after unsealing the Niernen. This was the moment of truth; if she was able to cross safely, then it would indicate Galbatorix had no defenses against the the Dauthdaert, at least here.

Eragon held his breath. Though he knew better than most how strong she was now and that the Dauthdaert should protect her from most magic, he still worried there might still be some arcane spell Galbatorix cast that could bypass even the spear's protection. And if the king did…

" _If Arya were to die here, I can't even begin to imagine what Naruto would do._ " He shuddered upon thinking what an enraged Naruto would be like. Just the form his mentor showed on the plateau of the Burning Plains was more than enough to alter the landscape, and he knew that was far, far from the limit Naruto was able to do.

And he wasn't even all that angry.

" _In that case, just make sure we all make it out alive, Little One._ " Saphira nudged her Rider forwards, baring her teeth in amusement at his mental complaints of her making too light of the situation. But inwardly, she too held a measure of worry as she watched the elf step through the citadel's entrance...before sighing in relief when nothing seemed to happen as Arya stepped over the body and into the castle.

"Do you feel anything?" Eragon called out from outside.

She shook her head while tossing over the elven spear. "As long as we stay clear of the gate, we should be fine."

Catching it, Eragon held the weapon out, shaft first, to Oromis and the elves to hold: even with its great length, other than the blade, the entire weapon was covered by in a medley of hands, gloves, and gauntlets as they made their way to Arya.

Just as they were about to pass by the cleaved body, a group of twenty soldiers in heavy plate armor and pikes outstretched rushed out from the side-rooms, their faces hidden behind helms of steel.

Unruffled by their sudden appearance, Arya calmly unsheathed Islingr before blurring away from view, much to the confusion of the soldiers. Circling about, they searched for the missing elf.

"Hey! Where did she go? Did you see her, what the hel-huh?!" One of the men with muddy brown eyes and hair shouted out, shifting his gaze side to side as he scanned for Arya, his unsteady breathing loud within the enclosed confines of his helmet.

He and his fellow soldiers were veterans of a hundred battles, the elite of the elite; they had fought and survived everything from the stoutest of dwarves, the most cunning of men, the monstrous Kull, and even had the unfortunate or fortunate chance to witness one of the legendary elves in his prime. So he knew better than to underestimate an elf, no matter beautiful or delicate this one looked.

Yet nothing could have prepared them for _her_ ; none had the speed to literally vanish from their sight without the aid of magic and remain unseen no matter how they turned about. Any such magic should have failed the instant she entered the citadel. And for her to remain hidden...there was nothing more terrifying than to be unable to see someone capable of ending their lives with a single swing of her sword.

So it was only when he heard a faint coughing sound to his right that he managed to witness his comrades collapse to the ground with their throats neatly slit, gurgling and choking on their own blood, yet no sign of the elf. It was as if the reaper of death had personally ascended to the mortal realm.

And it, _no she_ , found them wanting.

 _Snick!_

There was no pain when his turn came, only a steely slither as the sword of the first Rider effortlessly pierced through both mail and flesh alike. Suddenly, he couldn't seem to breathe. Reaching up towards his throat, his gauntleted hand came back red and slick with his blood.

"Oh."

The pike, once so light in his hand, now felt like a mountain dragging him down as it fell clattering to the stone floor. Slowly, he too sank to the floor onto his knees, his strength ebbing away. There was fear of course, and anger at being so easily bested. But as the light began to disappear from his eyes and the world started to blur, there was only thing left in his mind.

A wish. A wish to see the face of his killer, the woman who had so easily breezed through him and his men. For he who had lived his entire life dedicated to the art of combat and killing, there was no greater desire than to see the one who had finally ended him. There was no hatred, for what use would he have for hatred now that he could barely feel his body? And so, with the last of what remained of his strength, he struggled to tilt his head upward, squinting into the blinding light that illuminated the exquisite woman before him.

Even had his throat not been cut, he still would have found himself breathless at the sight.

Glowing cyan eyes, laced with delicate strands of molten gold in the form of some exotic flower that his fading mind could no longer name, set in a face that could not possibly belong to any mortal being stared back into his own, her unblemished sword pointed downward at her side. With his befuddled mind, it was as if an angel had descended from above to receive him.

" _Ah, there you are…_ " His wish granted, the nameless man finally slumped to the cold ground as he wheezed his last breath.

Opposite of him, Arya numbly looked down at the crimson garbed soldier while feeling a sense of exhaustion and melancholy spread from her core. It was only now, when they were so close to the end, that she began to reminisce the events of her life and things she had done without a second thought. Ever since she had stepped foot outside of Ellesméra, ever since she had defied the words of her mother, she had been involved with the war in some way or another.

From killing, being tortured, and plundering minds for information, one ruthless act after another, she had done and experienced more than what most elves did their entire lifetime. The blood and shattered minds of hundreds if not thousands rested in her fair palms. And though she still loved to fight and the feeling of improving herself, such a weight was beginning to weigh her down to the point that despite her near eidetic memory, she had trouble remembering a time when she hadn't been burned by the flames of war.

And now, as the pool of blood of twenty men reached her feet and the rest of her party gathered around her, Arya glanced away to the stainless surface of Islingr, the blade pulsing with a soft inner light unseen in any other sword. For a second, an urge to throw the priceless blade away almost overwhelmed her; its purity painfully reminded her of the one she once held all those decades ago, now lost forever in the river of time. Such a blade deserved someone equally pure, someone capable of looking past the hatred of an entire species like the first Eragon did.

And that wasn't her.

"Very clean. You have improved much since you left Ellesméra, Arya Svit-kona." Stepping forth, Oromis praised the swift and efficient way the daughter of Islanzadí dispatched the soldiers. While taking care of such a meagre few was nothing special, slicing only the throats at a speed that defied the physical limits of any elf when she could have easily killed them in a more messy manner was something to respect and admire.

"...Thank you, Oromis-elda." Arya dipped her head in return, swiftly resheathing her blade while the twin doors creaked open as Blödhgarm and another elf opened them from the rooms on either side of the gate. Any praise from one as wise and venerated as Oromis would have normally left any of the younger generation of elves secretly delighted. Yet, as Glaedr and Saphira made their way through one at a time with the Dauthdaert, all Arya could feel was a faint contempt at her ability to kill being commended.

" _Enough of this, there will be time to dwell on this after killing Galbatorix. Besides,_ _I would never hear the end of it from Naruto if he caught me brooding._ " Arya quickly brushed off her uncharacteristic self pity while lifting her arms, Tenseigan aglow. Behind her, the small party-including the Saphira and Glaedr-briefly gasped in surprise when they began to hover several inches in the air. Though they had planned for this, it was still a new sensation for all of them, to float without the use of energy or movement.

Soon, they began to move forward. "There are many traps ahead of us, but as expected, almost all of them only activate upon contact with the ground. For now, we will go according to plan." Eragon had no complaints of the plan; it would not do to use their trump card so early, especially when Galbatorix was undoubtedly watching them. And though the mad king was notoriously paranoid, there were very few beings able to levitate both themselves and giant beasts such as dragons for any sort of distance, certainly not for a quarter mile.

Waving a hand, the heavy gates leading into the citadel slammed shut with an ominous bang. As they did so, Arya glimpsed through them towards the raging battle just in time to catch a series of ghostly green flashes. Though Ciri's affection towards _her_ man somewhat irritated her, she didn't wish any ill upon their young guest. Indeed, if wasn't because of her desire, they probably would have been friends instead of the somewhat close acquaintances they were.

" _Let this battle swiftly end without anything unexpected. Stay safe, everyone._ " With a quick prayer-though she didn't believe in religion other than the Log-Arya refocused her attention upon the empty hallway...especially on those nasty looking guillotine blades.

xXx

"Oi lil'White! Don't stray so far from us!" It had been hardly half a minute since their crash landing when Naruto noticed that Ciri, who had done her best to try and squeeze the air from his lungs, had disappeared from his back. Channeling wind chakra through Kubikiribōchō, he effortlessly sliced through several crimson-garbed men who had managed to make their way past Asura as the dazed dragon shook the stars from his armored head.

When Ciri either ignored or didn't hear him, Naruto quietly cursed. "Damnit, was I once this much of a pain in the ass? If so, sorry about that Kakashi-sensei." Below him, Asura rumbled with laughter at his Rider's dismay as he slapped a soldier with a spear into the city wall, instantly turning the poor man into a bloody paste.

"From what I've seen, you were far worse, or did you forget how you almost killed yourself while trying to bleed out the poison?" Just as he opened his jaws to unleash a fiery hellstorm, a hard thwack on the crown of his head forced his gaping mouth shut.

"Hey, no fire, remember? Or did you want to set the entire city on fire? And to be fair, I was only 13..." Naruto scolded, rapping one of Asura's giant horns.

Asura rolled his eyes. "Fine, no fire." his spiked tail swept a platoon of soldiers high up into the air while gruesomely impaling some, "but you should catch up with the little human; she's getting away."

Glancing to his right, Naruto witnessed Ciri flash past a half a dozen men in a series of blinding flashes as they fell like dominos, each with a thrust to the neck or face. " _Well, it seems Arya's teaching was not for nothing. Though..._ " Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several crossbowmen aim at both his young charge and him. Cocking his hand back, Naruto suddenly threw the giant sword, the blade becoming a giant spinning pinwheel of death as it cleaved through all but one of them. " _...it would seem I still have to work on her danger instinct hohoho._ "

About thirty feet away, Ciri briefly paused as a small shudder of horror wracked her lithe frame. However, before she could think much of it, a descending sword quickly reclaimed her attention.

But when the soldier didn't bat an eye at his comrade's death and instead proceeded to press down on the trigger, the blond frowned.

" _Something's wrong._ " Using Magnet Release, Naruto calmly redirected the bolt after it flew several feet to casually punch through its owner's stomach at several times its initial speed. Such a wound should have instantly killed him, whether he be a regular human or shinobi. Yet as Naruto was about to make his way towards Ciri, a faint laugh echoed out from behind him. Fiercely turning back, he watched in silent disgust as the laughing soldier attempted to climb to his feet despite his perforated stomach and spine.

" _So these are the Laughing Dead Eragon mentioned._ " Disgust morphed into pity in his ringed eyes as he stared at the dying man with the Rinne-Sharingan, observing the spells that turned off his sense of pain and drove him to fight until the end. " _Only madmen like Galbatorix or Orochimaru would do something as monstrous as this._ " Closing his eyes, he _pulled_ on the giant blade firmly lodged in the wall, making it decapitate the ruined man before it smacked into his open hand.

"Damnit, everything was so much simpler without all these fancy, pain in the ass spells." He almost missed the time when the most complicated thing he had to deal with was coming to terms with a 100 meter tall demon fox in his belly.

As it was, there was almost nothing he could do, even with the knowledge of the Name of Names. Yes, he could disable the spells taking away their sense of pain, but as for those that forced them to fight until either they or their master died, those were constructed using the name of the ancient language. And despite his overwhelming power, he was no seer; even he didn't know what would happen if he carelessly poked around with a spell with that name.

"And even if I were able to disable all the spells, it still wouldn't stop all this. In their eyes, I'm just a foreigner and the destroyer of the second largest city; who would listen?" Though he had brought peace to the Elemental Nations, this was Alagaesia, a continent that had been at war for well over half a century and drenched in the blood of its inhabitants. There were centuries old grudges as well as these damnable spells that complicated everything. He was a stranger to the land, unable to make either Galbatorix listen or have the Varden stop their campaign; all he could do was minimize the casualties and grant any in his path a swift death.

For now, his only goals here were to protect Ciri as well as protect the leaders of the Varden. In other words...just another usual day in Naruto Uzumaki's life.

" _Speaking of which,_ " Naruto idly thumbed the handle of the oversized butcher knife while casting a sensory net over the entire city before narrowing his eyes. " _Ah, there you all are._ "

Just as he expected, there were tens of chakra signatures within the city, with around two dozen far more powerful ones scattered about. What worried him however was the number of such energy signatures present in the dark citadel ahead. Though Eragon and Arya in particular had both gotten far stronger than he would have thought possible, it was best to err on the side of caution. Clasping his hands together, Naruto muttered, "Mokuton: Moku Bunshin no Jutsu!"

One became two when his wooden clone detached itself from him before being directed it towards the castle. "Keep them safe, but stay out of sight and don't interfere with their fight." Nodding, the double disappeared in a burst of speed.

Looking down, Naruto spied the 'corpses' he had bisected earlier weren't actually dead. Sighing, he swung Kubikiribōchō to behead them all before jumping down to follow Ciri.

"I hate war."

xXx

A small distance away from the towering walls of Urû'baen, Ajihad overlooked the siege of the capital city of the Empire.

"To think this is what he meant by creating a 'distraction'. Unbelievable." The black leader shook his head in near disbelief; had it been any other pair, he would have long declared them mad and suicidal.

But when it came to Naruto, he didn't even try to understand him.

"Jörmundur! Take your company and flank the city from the left! Take the pressure off as the elves and Kull take care of the main gate, then commit your forces to taking down those siege engines!"

There was almost no point to themselves using catapults, trebuchets, or ballistas as the walls were surely protected from such bombardments. Combined with the wall's sheer height, the effort it would take to even clear Urû'baen's defenders and protected machines was far too high, not to mention the potential of harming their own men. Had it not been for the sudden weakness in the wall, they would have been forced to have the elves expend a tremendous amount of energy just to take down the main gate.

But with it, the plan changed to simply scaling the walls and taking down the gates from within.

"Yes sir!" Without hesitation, his loyal right-hand man saluted before leaving to join his 20,000 men company. Ajihad sighed; no doubt, by the end of today, at least half of that number won't be coming back, all in the name of freedom from an immortal tyrant.

Not long after Asura punched a hole through the walls, the first of many siege ladders and towers arrived at the gap amidst a rain of arrows and javelins. Already, they groaned under the weight of several hundred bodies, with many of them being over 8 feet Kull and solid muscle as they streamed over the parapets. But no matter how formidable their race was, they would have been quickly overwhelmed had it not been for the elves back on the ground keeping the ladders steady and their backs protected from all sorts of projectiles.

It took less than an hour for the Varden to finally fight their way down to the main gate and the mechanisms holding it in place. But as the colossal gates slowly creaked open, Ajihad could only frown.

" _Something's wrong. That was almost...too easy._ " Even with the gap in their defenses and the power of the elves, the sheer number of men and war machines on top of the walls should have at least held for another hour if not more. Perhaps they were lucky, perhaps he had overestimated the strength of Galbatorix's forces.

But right now, the instincts that helped him overcome Durza the Shade as a mere human all those years ago were now screaming at him that this was a trap, and a most deadly one if not handled carefully. Even as another Urgal fell from the wall, Ajihad furrowed his brows while sifting through for possible solutions for several minutes.

But nothing came to mind. There was simply no time to think or implement another plan.

" _Sometimes, all we can do, is pray for the best._ " Ajihad grimly thought while mounting onto a white courser. "Into the belly of the beast it is then."

Drawing his sword, he nodded at King Hrothgar who stood at the head of thousands of dwarves, all armed to the teeth before looking out over a sea of faces composed of men, dwarves, elves, Urgals, and werecats.

Others may have shouted out a grand speech, to get their comrades' blood pumping and bolster their courage. But after seeing a dragon, _their dragon_ , bust through the city's defenses, well, there simply wasn't anything else he could say that could rouse their spirits anymore than they already were.

Besides, the time for speeches was over. All that was left was for their swords and magic to do the talking.

"Men, CHARGE!"

Like a roaring flood, the earth shook as a combined host of Alagaesia's species rumbled their way towards the open entrance to Urû'baen. Flashes of light snapped and crackled as the elves and spell casters protected their allies from the incoming wave of projectiles. But they weren't infallible. More than a few fell by either arrow or stone. But the vast majority managed to rush into the capital unharmed, if a little winded from the sprint in full armor.

Charging ahead, Ajihad bashed his way through several disorganized lines of men, lacerating any in his path while ignoring any pikes and spears flying towards him; he trusted the wards his spellweavers wove about him.

That's what magic was for.

As he cleaved a crimson soldier's arm from his shoulder, everything seemed to be going well. But when turned to his other side, he suddenly felt a violent tug on his midsection.

" _What the…?_ "

Out of pure instinct, he stabbed out behind him, a move that was certain to either pierce through his assailant's vital organs, or force him to let go through sheer force alone. As it turned out, the former happened as felt his sword slice past armor into vulnerable flesh below; but it did nothing as he was forcefully pulled off his horse...then he heard the laughing.

"Ah shit…Laughing Dead!" Ajihad shouted in warning when he realized who it was that had dragged him to the ground. All around him, he recognized the men he had battered and slashed aside on his initial charge as they swarmed him, some with broken arms and legs and even one bits of his ribs poking out from his armor, all the while mockingly laughing at him and his useless attempts to escape.

Then they started slashing.

Once, twice, thrice...he quickly lost count of the number of blows that rained down, though his wards continued to hold out. " _But for how much longer?_ " Each one drained precious energy reserves from both him and his magic users who even now strained to protect the other men and eventually, they would run out. But even with his formidable strength, in the end, he was but a normal human held down by others who feared neither pain nor death.

Soon, just as he feared, the edges of his vision began to blacken as his wards continued to draw on his strength. " _Well this isn't good…_ "

xXx

Across the entrance on top of a roof, a pair of dead ringed eyes rimmed by a shaggy mane of silver hair peered out over the chaos of blood, meat, and bone: in particular at a throng of maroon soldiers who were currently whaling away at his ward in the center. But just as one of his fingers twitched, he spied a certain Kull furiously making his way down the ramparts towards the ground below. Relaxing, the watcher behind the eyes drew his attention elsewhere.

xXx

Just as his wards were about to fail, a giant war club bashed away the soldiers on top of him. Shaking the blackness away, he blinked when a grey hand as big as his head filled his vision.

"Gah! Get up Nightstalker! This is no time to sleep!" A mighty shout that could be heard over the din of battle rang in his ears as Nar Garzhvog, warchief of the Urgals, reveled in the bloodshed and glory he was gaining for his tribes, all the while bashing in any skulls within reach of his club.

Grasping Kull's hand, or rather several of his fingers, Ajihad felt a small amount of vertigo as he felt himself swiftly pulled back onto his feet. Blinking away the blurriness from his eyes, he hurriedly intercepted a thrust at both their sides.

"Thank you, Nar Garzhvog for your timely rescue. Your assistance is most appreciated!" Ajihad shouted while standing back to back with the eight and a half feet Kull, something not many would dare to do as it was easy for them to kill someone without meaning to, such as accidentally crushing a soldier between his leg and the side of a building and not even notice.

Then again, he wasn't some average soldier, he was the man who managed to scar Durza the Shade's sword as well as best him in single combat. What happened earlier wouldn't happen again.

"Hahaha! I'm glad you survived Nightstalker! There is much glory to be had this day!" Nar Garzhvog roared back as he casually popped the last soldier's head, both helmet and skull, with his bare hand; the others had long died or run away deeper into the city. Then a crafty gleam entered his yellow eyes. "Of course, this means you'll grant more land after all is all over, correct?"

The corner of his mouth twitched in exasperation and amusement. "Though I cannot speak for my fellow leaders, I can tell you that I will make sure you get as much land as we can afford...as long you keep up that part of the bargain."

The Urgal warchief snorted helplessly in response. "Bah, it's not that I don't want to, but you know our race is not a peaceful one. You know of our traditions. Such practices are carved into our very flesh and bone. If we asked, would you have your men give up farming, or the dwarves stop mining for gold and gems, or the elves to stop caring for the trees if it were for the sake of peace?"

The middle of Ajihad's brows creased. Other than planning for the final assault, this had been the issue that concerned him most. Just how was he going to pacify the Urgals without resorting to genocide?

" _If I wasn't able to come up with a solution in the peace of my tent, I certainly won't in the middle of battle._ "

Patting his savior's arm, Ajihad shook his head before remounting his horse."We'll discuss this later. For now, let's capture the city." Nar Garzhvog grunted at the black commander's words; he hadn't expected much else.

But as he was about to lead his Urgals further in, Ajihad called out a warning.

"Be careful, Nar Garzhvog. There is something strange about this campaign; it's been far too easy thus far. And beware, we still haven't encountered anyone with the heart of hearts. No doubt they wait further within."

With that, he gestured towards his men to continue on before following them, the Urgals hot on his heels.

xXx

" _150...ha...ha...180, or was that one hundred ninetieth one? Maybe even the two hundredth? I've lost track, haven't I?_ " Ciri panted as she flashed behind another soldier to behead him with her trusty gwyhyr sword, Zireael. She had learned around her fiftieth one, after a soldier almost crippled her knee despite stabbing him through the heart, that only a thrust into the brain or a good beheading could permanently keep these guys down.

"Yah!" Feeling her blade make its way through the spine, Ciri began to stumble forward with its momentum, her feet tripping over themselves as her legs gave out. But before she could face plant into the headless corpse of the man she just killed, a strong hand gripped her shoulder to steady her.

Her nerves still high-strung and fighting instincts very much active, she ducked away from the touch before forcing herself to spin about to gut the offender...only to widen her eyes in astonishment when she saw that same hand easily catch the razor sharp blade. Looking up, a pair of warm cerulean orbs peered into her own.

"Woah woah, calm yourself, lil'White. It's me, Naruto. Rest for a bit, there aren't any soldiers or spellcasters nearby, for now." Hearing his words comforted her more than resting by a campfire in the middle of a winter night. Then came the weakness that stemmed from her very blood.

Though she could pass through space and time, to worlds upon worlds and not get too exhausted, performing so many leaps as well as fighting it out with men who felt no pain or feared death AND could only die from a head wound drained Ciri like never before. Just the sheer number alone was enough to give her a headache.

"Naruto?" Stabbing her blade into the ground, Ciri struggled to stand up, her muscles screaming to just lay down and rest, no matter the blood and filth that stained it. Just as her legs were about to give out for the second time, Naruto smoothly leaned down to loop her arm around his shoulders while placing a hand about her thin waist.

"Yup, it's the one and only Naruto Uzumaki! So stop trying to kill me."

Knowing she was safe with him around, Ciri rolled her eyes at his ridiculous words as she leaned against his side until she felt her back touch a wall. Slumping to the ground, she ruefully muttered, "Phht, as if I could."

Naruto chuckled when he saw his student roll her eyes. Eying the shallow cuts of the ones lucky enough to even touch her, his hands glowed viridian as he closed the open wounds within seconds. Soon, all that was left was unblemished fair skin, though her clothes remained ripped in those places.

" _Now that I think about it, I probably should have insisted she wear something more protective than a simple cotton shirt and pair of leather pants._ " The blond mused as he tracked the movements of the Eldunari holders, wondering why only half of them began to move towards the encroaching Varden while the others remained at their original posts.

" _Just what are they be waiting for?_ "

As he pondered about their intentions, Ciri wheezed as she regained her breath, the Elder Blood within her regenerating her stamina at a quicker pace than any normal human. Though still tired, her fighting spirit still raged within her. Never before had she felt so powerful or fast than she was now...and it was intoxicating, no matter the death and carnage that surrounded them. Every cell of her body itched to get back into the fight...though staying in Naruto's embrace was rather tempting...

"Ya know, you've improved quite a bit Ciri, especially the delay between your jumps and attacks. Other than Arya and me, there's not many on this continent capable of reacting to your attacks, even fewer when you use your Elder Blood." Naruto praised while roughly mussing Ciri's hair, ignoring how she tried to bat his hand away.

" _I take back what I said, get off me!_ " However, her silent plea went unanswered. Like he would to a child, Naruto continued to play around with her, much to her utter embarrassment, for several more seconds before mercifully letting her go. Standing up, he held out a hand to her.

"Come on Ciriiiiii, up you go...or are you too tired already?" Although she knew what Naruto was doing, Ciri still couldn't help but feel a bit riled up at his challenging tone.

"Oh hell no." Swiftly rising back to her feet, she proceeded to vanish before reappearing several meters away in a flash of green.

"Come on old man, keep up! Or is your age getting to you?" Shouting out her own challenge, the woman from another world disappeared from sight as she fell upon another company of soldiers, much to Naruto's amusement.

"Hahaha! You're a century too young to ask me that question lil'White!" Drawing a pair of Hiraishin kunai - Kubikiribōchō was far too big in these narrow streets - Naruto bounded after his charge in a blur of gold and orange, his pure speed as great as Ciri's teleports.

Unknown to them at the time, the heavy usage of her powers in reality drew the attention of others, the gears of fate quietly turning about.

xXx

Off on another world under the light of the full moon, a wraith-like figure shadow donned in fine armor with a staff lying on his lap silently meditated, a luminous magical circle around him with him in its center. Mystical words flowed past his lips as he quietly meditated, his face hidden by a forbidding metal mask. Not a mile away, a great host of horses and steel-clad riders milled about, their movements oddly mechanical and rigid.

For days Caranthir, the Golden Child and navigator of the Wild Hunt, ceaselessly searched for a path into the world Cirilla fled to, only stopping for food and rest every so often. Of all the Aen Elle, he had the strongest affinity to time and space, only surpassed by the traitor Avallac'h and, as much as he hated to admit it, that accursed half-breed dh'oine Zireael. But despite his gifts, no matter how arcane his spells or increasingly ingenious his methods were, it was of no use.

In the end, he simply didn't have enough power.

As the magic circle around him fractured into a thousand pieces (again), Caranthir sighed in frustration. " _Another failure...Power, is this what it comes down to in the end?_ " Dark thoughts clouded his mind. " _Is this why you abandoned your race, betrayed our king, and left me, for that ugly thing?_ " Hot rage over his foster father's betrayal coursed through him as he gripped his steel staff, almost denting the sturdy metal.

Then something happened.

"Hmmm, what's this?" Cracking open his eyes, the navigator discovered the once impenetrable veil about that world now had several fine cracks running across its surface. They were infinitesimally small, like the short coarse hairs compared to an entire horse.

But they were there. And where there was weakness…

"...there is a way." A grim smile etched across his face when he realized _what_ exactly was the cause of them. " _Foolish swallow, if only you had suppressed your powers, you would have been safe._ "

"What is it, Caranthir? Have you found a way into that world?" Behind him, a towering figure in skeletal armor made his way to the sitting mage, heavy clanks ringing about.

Caranthir immediately made his way to his knees. "Yes, my King, I have, and by Zireael's doing in fact. However, we must make haste, otherwise the way there might forever be closed to us."

Nodding, Eredin quickly gestured for Imlerith to ready the others while the two saddled themselves on their steeds. Soon, the barks and neighs of over a thousand horses and hounds rang through the air as the Wild Hunt assembled with Caranthir, Imlerith, and the King of the Wild Hunt at their head.

Then, with a slam of his staff, Caranthir opened an icy blue tear the size of a small tree. In front, Eredin slowly drew his sword before jabbing it forward.

"Come, it's time for a Hunt!"

xXx

On other side of Alagaesia and away from all the fighting, another elf peacefully rested on a bed that seamlessly rested on the wooden floor within a tree. Ever since his abrupt appearance in Alagaesia, the stranger never opened his eyes, only occasionally stirring about as dreams or nightmares only known to him disturbed his slumber.

Then, by some unknown signal, his deep-set aquamarine eyes abruptly snapped open along with a sharp intake of air.

"Cirilla…"

Notes:

Kvert-cut

Hello everyone, and thank you for reading! I know many will be upset that I did not finish the final battle in this chapter, honestly, there's so much to get down, so many events to plan that a single chapter is simply not enough. However, I do hope you all enjoyed the chapter, so please, whether it be bad or good, leave a review; it really helps!

Btw, to any who haven't seen Alita: Battle Angel yet...DO IT.


	70. Update, not a chapter (sorry!)

Hello everyone. Sorry for not updating in a long while. Finals, projects, and research...(as well as gaming) have eaten up my time in the past couple of weeks. As well as a healthy dose of writer's block for a certain scene. However, I think the worst is over and will try to get a chapter out soon.

Thanks for everyone's support!


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